Tom Adams
Tom Adams - final performance on banjo, Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival, September 2, 2007
Background information
Born	November 17, 1958 (1958-11-17) (age 51)
Origin	Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Genres	Bluegrass
Occupations	Bluegrass Artist
Instruments	Banjo, Guitar, Vocals
Years active	1968 – Present
Labels	Rounder Records
Website	www.adamscountybanjo.com
Notable instruments
1981 Gold Star GF-100W 5-String Banjo, Serial #810345

Tom Adams (born November 17, 1958) is a bluegrass musician born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Featured as a banjo player on recordings made between 1974 and 2006 with The Adams Brothers, The Johnson Mountain Boys, The Lynn Morris Band, Blue Highway, Rhonda Vincent, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland and many others, the neurological disorder known as focal hand dystonia has led Tom to continue his career in bluegrass music as a guitar player and vocalist. Adams was also a member of Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys (1983-1985) but Martin was not actively recording during that period.^[1]

In the spring of 2008 Tom (on guitar) formed Diamond Joe, a bluegrass band based in south-central Pennsylvania, with Chris Warner (banjo), Mark Seitz (mandolin) and Steve Streett (bass). The group disbanded in July, 2008, when Tom began rehearsals with Bill Emerson and the Sweet Dixie Band to replace vocalist and guitarist Wayne Taylor in Emerson's group.^[2]

Band founder and leader Bill Emerson changed the official name of the group to Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie in the fall of 2008 after the departure of vocalist Con Burch. From October 2008 to August 1, 2009 the group performed in the greater Washington, D.C. area and consisted of Bill Emerson - banjo, Tom Adams - guitar, Teri Chism - bass, Wayne Lanham - mandolin and Lynn Morris - FOH sound engineer.^[3]

On July 6, 2009, Tom was hired as the lead vocalist and guitar player for Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. He played his first shows with the band on August 7 and 8 in Henderson, Kentucky.^[4]

[edit] Discography

• Right Hand Man (Rounder Records, 1990)
• Rounder Banjo Extravaganza "Live", with Tony Trischka and Tony Furtado (Rounder Records, 1992)
• Adams County Banjo (Rounder Records, 2001)
• Live at the Ragged Edge, with Michael Cleveland (Rounder Records, 2004)

[edit] Awards

• IBMA Album of the Year - 1990 (At the Old Schoolhouse, The Johnson Mountain Boys)
• IBMA Banjo Player of the Year - 1992
• IBMA Banjo Player of the Year - 1993
• IBMA Entertainer of the Year - 2001 (with Rhonda Vincent & the Rage)
• IBMA Banjo Player of the Year - 2002
• IBMA Instrumental Album of the Year - 2004 (Live at the Ragged Edge, with Michael Cleveland)
• IBMA Best Liner Notes - 2006 (Let 'Er Go Boys, Michael Cleveland)
• IBMA Recorded Event of the Year - 2007 (Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular)
• IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year - 2009 (as a member of Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper)

[edit] References

1. ^ Excerpt from article By Ann E. Diviney, August 2005 issue of Central PA Magazine
2. ^ The Bluegrass Blog - Tom Adams to Sweet Dixie Band
3. ^ Sweet Dixie - list of band members
4. ^ Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper home page

• Official Website of Rounder Records
• List of Recipients of Awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association