Best know for his syncopated lyricisim of his fiddle playing, Rickie Simpkins has been on the the go musically since his childhood days, building a catalog of recordings and appearances that testifies both to his creative flexibility as well as to his enduring roots in the classic bluegrass of his native Virginia. Rickie has been a part of the bluegrass music scene performing with Upland Express, McPeak Bros., Heights of Grass, Virginia Squires, Continental Divide, The Tony Rice Unit, The Lonesome River Band and The Issacs, just to name a few. At the same time, Rickie's reputation as a skillful and inventive studio musician was growing. He has appeared on country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter's second album for Columbia Records and a Grammy Award winning instrumental song by Randy Scruggs. His ultimate studio experience, though, came with the recording of his first solo album, Dancing on the Fingerboard, a nominee for the International Bluegrass Music Association's Instrumental "Recording of the Year" award. Rickie has won many awards including SPBGMA's - Fiddle Player of the Year, IBMA's - Instrumental Group of the Year, 1991 & 1995 and Bluegrass Now's - Fan's Choice Awards, Fiddle Player of the Year, 1998. Rickie is currently enjoying performing live as well as producing recordings for other artists.
