Bryan Bowers

Bryan Bowers is an American autoharp player who is frequently credited with introducing the instrument to new generations of musicians.[1]

Career

Bowers became very popular with the audience of the comedy radio program The Dr. Demento Show with his 1980 recording of Mike Cross's song "The Scotsman".[2] In 1993, Bowers was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame whose membership includes Mother Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter.[3]

In two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007, he released new recordings: Bristlecone Pine and September in Alaska. "Although such guests as Tim O'Brien, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, and Enright and O'Bryant play and sing on a number of cuts, this is a Bryan Bowers disc all the way, with his exquisite autoharp flavoring many of the tunes," wrote a November 2006 Bluegrass Unlimited reviewer of Bristlecone Pine. "Bowers selects thematically diverse and lyrically strong material. There are powerful love songs ("When You And I Were True" and "Magnolia") and non-cloying meditations on life and death ("Bristlecone Pine," "Friend For Life," and "When I Go"), as well as haunting instrumentals. He nicely avoids the hackneyed stuff of so many folk/bluegrass/country performers."[4] He maintains an active performance and teaching schedule.

Awards
  • Contemporary Inductee, Autoharp Hall of Fame, 1993.
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, California Autoharp Gathering, 2006.[5]
  • Induction into Frets Magazine's First Gallery of the Greats[6]

Select discography
  • The View from Home, Flying Fish, 1977
  • Home, Home on the Road, Flying Fish, 1980
  • By Heart, Flying Fish, 1982
  • For You, Flying Fish, 1990
  • Friend for Life, Flying Fish, 2002
  • Bristlecone Pine, Seattle Sounds, 2006
  • September in Alaska, Seattle Sounds, 2007
  • Crabby Old Man, 2011
  • Live at Winterfolk, 2015
  • Woodland Dream, 2019

References
  1. "Bluegrass Unlimited - Bluegrass Unlimited content". Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  2. "details for The Scotsman - Bryan Bowers". Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  3. Autoharp Hall of Fame Inductees Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Bluegrass Unlimited - Bluegrass Unlimited content". Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. California Autoharp Gathering Archived May 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Bryan Bowers - Master Autoharpist, Storyteller, singer/songwriter/performing artist Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
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