The Chapmans   -  Biography

The Chapmans' musical journey began in the early 1990s in Colorado when John Chapman won a statewide junior division fiddle championship in his early teens. Inspired by his son's interest in music, John's father, Bill, took up the banjo, and the two started a bluegrass band with some family friends. Eventually John switched to guitar and sang lead vocals. When younger brothers Jeremy and Jason took up mandolin and bass respectively, a hobby turned into a full-on family passion.

The group honed their skills through shows at county fairs and bluegrass festivals throughout the 1990s. They moved to the Missouri Ozarks in 1995 to make travel easier. In 1998, they jumped into the national spotlight when they won the International Bluegrass Band Championship held by the Society For the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA). Along with the critical success of the band's first independent album, Love's Gonna Live Here, the win led to a contract with Pinecastle Records.

The band's first album on Pinecastle, Notes From Home, was produced by IIIrd Tyme Out bassist Ray Deaton. The album landed in the Top 5 of Bluegrass Unlimited's radio chart and was nominated by SPBGMA for album of the year. In 2000, John won the first of three honors as SPBGMA's guitar performer of the year, and the Chapmans picked up endorsements from Gibson Instruments and GHS Strings.

The Chapmans released Follow Me in 2001, which included "Losing Again" and an a cappella version of Sam Cooke's classic "You Send Me." Once again the album reached the Top 5 of Bluegrass Unlimited's radio chart and was nominated by SPBGMA for album of the year. It also led to the Emerging Artist honor from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2002.

In 2005, the group released the album Simple Man, produced by Darrin Vincent. Guests included Ron Block, Stuart Duncan, Aubrey Haynie, Rob Ickes, Sonya Isaacs and Andy Leftwich.