Buddy Greene
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Buddy Greene brings a wide variety of southern Americana influences to his music to create a unique hybrid of country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and traditional blues. In addition to his solid reputation as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, Buddy has established himself as on of Nashville’s finest harmonica stylists.
Greene grew up in Macon, GA, amid its antebellum mansions, sultry summers, southern cooking and deep-south music culture. He spent his childhood learning dozens of folk songs on the ukulele and soon advanced to acoustic guitar, immersing himself in popular music mainstays of the time such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Motown. Their infectious beat and obvious nods to roots music fueled Buddy's intense interest in the deeper historical origins of country, bluegrass and rhythm and blues music that are so evident in his music today.
In 1992 Greene's songwriting collaboration with Mark Lowry, "Mary, Did You Know?," earned him another Dove nomination and has since become something of a modern-day Christmas standard, with recordings by superstars such as Kenny Rogers and Wynonna, Kathy Mattea, Christopher Parkening and Kathleen Battle, Natalie Cole, Reba McEntire, and Gary Chapman, among many others. Other songs penned by Buddy and recorded by other artists include He Is (Ashley Cleveland), Fall Down Children (The Whites) and Recovering Pharisee (Del McCoury).
For his 2002 release, “RUFUS”, Buddy invited an all-star cast of payers and singers - Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Ron Block, Chuck Leavell, Kenny Malone, Byron House, and Ashley Cleveland, among others, to join him for an in-studio pickin' party. Bluegrass , blues, old-time gospel, even The Beatles, all got into the mix. Says Buddy, "On “RUFUS” I just wanted to have fun with some really talented friends, play a bunch of old and new songs I never get tired of playing, and remember why I ever wanted to be a musician in the first place." “RUFUS” was chosen as one of the Top 10 Bluegrass recordings of 2002 by the Chicago Tribune. traditional hymns masterfully performed on harmonica.
Since the release of “RUFUS”, Buddy has been able to expand his audience with occasional appearances at music clubs, such as The Bluebird Café and Station Inn in Nashville , and at music festivals, such as MerleFest in North Carolina . There, in 2003 and again in 2004, Buddy realized his lifetime dream by performing on stage with another on of his musical heroes, the legendary Doc Watson. Doc has personally invited Buddy back again this spring for the 2005 event.
Buddy's latest project is the brand new Hymns & Prayer Songs, an acoustic, eclectic celebration of the music of the church. Instead of the traditional piano and organ setting, you'll hear updated arrangements and instruments like acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass (and, of course, harmonica) for more of a folk, string band approach. As Buddy says, “we are a church coming together in song to proclaim the gospel”.