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Alison Krauss (born on July 23, 1971 in Decatur, Illinois), is a bluegrass
singer and virtuoso fiddle player who grew up in Champaign, Illinois. Krauss
initially studied classical violin, starting at five, but she quickly
switched to bluegrass. By age eight she started entering local talent
contests and at ten she had her own band. At twelve she won the Illinois
State Fiddle Championship and the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass
in America named her the Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest. Her debut
album came out when she was 16.
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Since then Alison Krauss has had several platinum-selling albums, has
received seventeen Grammy Awards, and been a featured performer in the
Oscars. In 1995 she was awarded Female Vocalist of the Year by the Country
Music Association.
A protégé of Bill Monroe, her music has wide appeal, beyond its traditional
popularity within country and folk circles. Best known for her work on the O
Brother, Where Art Thou? movie soundtrack, as well as its companion album,
Down from the Mountain, Krauss's music is also featured prominently on the
Cold Mountain soundtrack, for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Her band,
Union Station, is a traditional bluegrass ensemble, but Krauss is not a
complete purist, having covered songs by, among others, the Beatles. Union
Station are: Barry Bales (bass, harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar,
lead & harmony vocals), Jerry Douglas (dobro), and Dan Tyminski (acoustic
guitar, mandolin, lead & harmony vocals).
Her music is an interesting blend between bluegrass and Neotraditional
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