ABOUT

Big Country Bluegrass delivers their own hard driving and heartfelt style of bluegrass music, and it makes them crowd favorites wherever they perform. Whether it’s at a festival in Missouri, on the stage at the Grand Ole Opry, or at a small intimate concert in their hometown of Independence, Virginia, the band brings back memories reminiscent of the early days of bluegrass music.

Tommy and Teresa Sells formed Big Country Bluegrass in 1987, and the group’s name comes from the instrumental “Big Country” that the late Jimmy Martin recorded many years ago. All band members live in and around the Virginia-Carolina Blue Ridge, and their music reflects much of the deep musical heritage found in the region, which is at the heart of the Crooked Road Music Trail.

Eddie Gill’s distinctive high lead vocals are featured on most songs, and the blend he and Teresa create together is at the heart of the Big Country Bluegrass sound.

In June 2023, Daniel Martin of Belmont, North Carolina joined the band playing banjo. He’s been playing since he was 14 years old when his dad bought him his first five string, and he spent four years previously playing with Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys.

The success of Big Country Bluegrass on the bluegrass charts has helped spread the word about their traditional sound. Each of the their last five Rebel Records releases has had a # 1 song on the Bluegrass Unlimited air-play chart. The songs were: “The Boys in Hats &Ties,” “I’m Putting on My Leaving Shoes,” “The Bluefield West Virginia Blues,” “Burn the Barn,” and “Country Boy, Banjo and Flat Top Guitar.”