Chris Doherty

My appreciation for bluegrass, folk and tradional music started back in the womb when my folks went to see Bill Monroe and Doc Watson play while my mom was 8 months pregenant with me. As a kid I played the piano, trumpet, and various percussion instruments. Then as a teenager I picked up a guitar and formed and played in many rock/punk/blues bands. When I was 19 or 20 an accident working for a tree and crane service left me with a stubby left ring finger and at that point I thought my days of playing guitar were over. But a year and half later while I was living in SE Alaska a good friend from back in Iowa(Jennifer Danielson) showed up and shoved a guitar back into my hands. I kept with it and soon immersed myself with the help of my friends Doug and Billy back in to bluegrass. This was in the mid and later 90's.For the most part I've been a self-employed ditch digger, for the past decade or more and could be found driving around eastern Iowa in a bio-diesel powered dump-truck with his dog as co-pilot. In late summer of '06 I had a musical awakening of sorts while building a patio and arbor in Iowa City. I don't know if it was the the heat or the frustration of working for a more than difficult client but I realized I had a lot more music inside me and had to put down the shovel, rake and concrete saw and pick up the guitar, mandolin and banjo again.So that's what I did. In the spring of '07 I decided to close up shop and have been trying to liquidate all my various tools from the construction trade ever since. It's not that I ever stopped playing but it was just something I did around campfires or in friends living rooms; which are still my favorite places to play. Now I'm hoping that once the dump trucks are gone I can focus all my energy towards making, creating and performing music.