Daniel Grindstaff Interview
By Nigel Sharpe for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Over the years, banjo extraordinaire Daniel Grindstaff has carved out his own path in the Bluegrass, Americana and Country industries. Along the way, he’s shared the stage with some of his biggest musical heroes, appeared countless times at the iconic Grand Ole Opry and made several national television appearances. A native of East Tennessee, he has performed across the United States and Canada with some of the very best in Bluegrass, Acoustic, and Country music.
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Daniel began his professional music career at the young age of 18, performing at the Opry in Nashville, Tennessee with late bluegrass legends Jim and Jesse McReynolds. At the age of 21, Daniel was not only performing with the McReynolds’, but had also been called upon to take the stage with the iconic Osborne Brothers, best known for their familiar hit and Tennessee state song “Rocky Top.” In the fall of 2006, Daniel began touring with Grammy Award winning artist, Marty Raybon. For the next five years Daniel remained an important part of Raybon’s studio recordings and concerts.
As the years followed, Grindstaff kept forging along, releasing new music of his own and doing what he loves, which is performing for fans. With a musical career that covers hundreds of appearances on the coveted stage of the Grand Ole Opry (as recent as 2024 with Daily & Vincent), national television appearances on Fox News morning show “Fox & Friends,” Smithsonian Folklife Festival, CMA Music Fest in Nashville, hundreds of live concerts, and many studio recordings, Daniel Grindstaff’s musical career and accomplishments speak for themselves, and he’s just getting started!
All that experience is coming full circle with the release of his 2024 solo project, Heroes & Friends, released via Bonfire Music Group. It quickly stuck a chord, with the single “Forever Young” featuring Dolly Parton and Paul Brewster hitting No. 1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited National Airplay Survey and the follow-up release “Finnland” feat. Andy Leftwich topping the Bluegrass Today Monthly Airplay Chart. Other artists featured on the collection include Jimmy Fortune, Rickey Wasson, Doyle Lawson and Kevin Richardson. It’s safe to say, the future is certainly looking bright for the chart-topping hitmaker.