Barry Turner Bales (born August 23, 1969) is an American musician best known as the long time bass player[1] and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss and Union Station. He has been in the band for around 25 years. The 2012 Grammy was awarded as a member of the Union Station band on Paper Airplane.[2] He is also a member of The Earls of Leicester.
Barry Bales | |
|---|---|
 Barry Bales (right) with Dan Tyminski (left), July 2012 | |
| Born | August 23, 1969 Kingsport, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Occupation | Musician |
Career
editBales grew up in Colonial Heights, Tennessee, outside of Kingsport, Tennessee and attended Sullivan South High School. Early memories of music include listening to the records of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Bob Wills, Buck Owens and Hank Thompson from his father's extensive collection. He started experimenting with various instruments at the age of 10, starting with guitar. By age 15, Bales had found the bass and was playing regionally in various groups. Bales attended East Tennessee State University, participating in the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music program, as did future Union Station members Tim Stafford and Adam Steffey.
Over the years, Bales has become one of the most in-demand session musicians in acoustic music. He has recorded and performed with such artists as Reba McEntire, Susan Ashton, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Bowman, The Cox Family, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Dan Tyminski, Patty Loveless amongst others.
He currently resides in Greene County, Tennessee with his wife Aliceson (née Osborn) and their young son.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Barry Bales". Fretless Bass. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ^ "And The GRAMMY Went To ... Alison Krauss & Union Station". Grammy.com. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ "Unwrapped Gifts". 9 December 2015.