ABOUT SHANNON SLAUGHTER

Award winning songwriter Shannon Slaughter is the featured mainstay of the band which includes members Ron Inscore, Cliff Bailey, and Trevor Watson. Anchored by powerful singing and ultra-tight harmony; they are a band that focuses on innovative instrumentation and arrangements. yet possesses the ability and desire to pay homage to tradition. 

Winner of the prestigious 2012 Chris Austin songwriting contest, (I've Hit Everything in My Life (But My Knees), Slaughter writes a wealth of the band's material. He has penned numerous songs that have received industry recognition and have been recorded by Blue Highway, The Lonesome River Band, Lou Reid and Carolina, Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, Mike Bentley and Cumberland Gap Connection, and Ernie Thacker. One of Slaughter's original gospel compositions, “It's So Hard to Stumble (When You're Down on Your Knees)” was nominated for a DOVE Award in 2010.

Shannon Slaughter always manages to mix fresh original material with time-honored traditional bluegrass and country favorites. Band members have recorded and performed with some of the best in the bluegrass business, calling as former employers the likes of the Lonesome River Band, Lou Reid and Carolina, Kenny and Amanda Smith, Larry Stephenson, Melonie Cannon, and Grasstowne.

Shannon promises a fresh, invigorating sound and playful stage banter. This band loves to entertain and brings a complete show to the stage!!

 

Ron Inscore - Mandolin

Raised in the small Southwest Virginia hamlet of Ararat, mandolin player and harmony singer Ron Inscore is no stranger to bluegrass music. Playing mandolin and guitar since the age of 8, Ron started as part of a duet with first cousin John R. Bowman (Alison Krauss, Boxcars, The Isaacs, Doyle Lawson) at churches and other local events. In the late 1980s, Ron joined the award-winning regional band Appalachian Trail and stayed for several years. After playing with local band Savannah Road (a joint venture he and Slaughter put together), Ron eventually landed a gig with Kenny and Amanda Smith, touring and recording with the duo for three years. 

Since a busy work schedule prevented him from touring full-time, Ron began to moonlight as a fill-in mandolin player for award-winning acts as Mountain Heart and The Boxcars. He joined forces with Slaughters in 2010 and has been their regular touring and recording mandolin player ever since. Ron is first and foremost a patriot and still lives on the family farm with his wife, Tonya. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing and collecting various items of American historical memorabilia.

Cliff Bailey - Bass & Vocals

Cliff comes from the small town of Sand Rock, Alabama. He began playing the bass at the early age of nine at his home church of Welcome Hill Baptist. Later in life, his family began playing music together as a group, " The Baileys." They traveled all over Alabama playing and singing at local churches. He continues to play and sing with his family every chance he gets.

The love of God and family are something that music has bestowed in him. Along with Cliff's bass playing, he also has been blessed with the ability to write songs. Two of his original songs have been recorded by Shannon and the band. Cliff is a proud Auburn University graduate, is employed in the poultry industry, and gives all the glory to his Heavenly Father. Cliff enjoys spending time with his wife Makayla and their two daughters, and they make their home in Sand Rock, AL.

Shannon Slaughter

More About Shannon Slaughter

Raised in the rural North Florida town of Chiefland, Shannon Slaughter was immersed in acoustic and country music at a young age by his family. His early influences include Merle Haggard, Randy Travis, Tony Rice, Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, and the Osborne Brothers. He began playing guitar at age eight and was soon began singing in churches, livestock fairs, and other venues around the Tri-County area.

Shannon started his professional career with the Lost and Found in 1992, moving to Virginia that summer. In December, Shannon joined the Larry Stephenson Band and was an integral sideman for three years. During his tenure with Larry, Shannon recorded two albums, toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada, and performed on the prestigious Grand Ole Opry. In 1995, Shannon teamed with several top-flight Southwest Virginia musicians and created Savannah Road, recording and performing for six years.

After several years off the road, Shannon re-entered the bluegrass scene joining Melonie Cannon in 2004 and 2005. In the fall of 2005, he joined the award-winning Lonesome River Band as their lead vocalist and guitarist touring and recording with the band until 2007. In 2008, he joined Lou Reid and Carolina on vocals and guitar; holding that position until 2012. Most recently, Shannon was guitarist and vocalist in Grasstowne and featured on the album Grasstowne 4.

In his spare time, Shannon enjoys songwriting, singing, and having fun with Heather, their daughter Rae Carroll, and sons Jed and Call, reading historical fiction, U.S. History, fishing, and playing golf. He has a B.S. Degree from Radford University and an M.A. from Samford University and currently teaches AP US History and Government / Economics at Springville High School in Springville, AL. Shannon is also the offensive line coach for the Springville Tiger Football Team. 

Trevor Watson - Banjo

Trevor Watson came from a musical family indoctrinated into the world of bluegrass at an early age. He began playing banjo at age 8 when his dad built him a small-scale banjo. After graduating from Virginia Tech, Trevor became a cast member at The Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach. In 2003, he joined Lou Reid & Carolina, where he is still a band member. He also filled in with the Seldom Scene for about six months before Ben Eldridge officially retired.

Trevor and Shannon have been friends since their college days and continue to enjoy playing music together. He and Shannon played a 4-year stint together with Lou Reid's band. Trevor has also recorded and played several shows with Shannon since he started his solo career.

In November 2023, Trevor released his solo album, Out of the Shadows, which includes guest Shannon Slaughter.