Jon Stickley

By: Grace Van"t Hof---Born and raised in Durham North Carolina, Jon Stickley got his musical start singing in Church choir. Influenced by bands such as NOFX and Nirvana, he deviated into the punk and rock scene during his teens developing a band mentality that would aid his musical developement in years to come. His band Strunken White made a mark on the Chapel Hill Indie rock scene.Jon moved to Raleigh to attend North Carolina University. He soon had a degree in Park Management. During these years his interest in bluegrass came to a head. Drawing inspiration from bluegrass greats such as Tony Rice, Tim O'Brien, and David Grisman, Jon began playing bluegrass guitar and mandolin with his brother Jeff and was soon noticed by the local bluegrass Big Fat Gap. Jon went through bluegrass undergrad with the likes of Andy Thorn, Miles Andrews, and Bobby Britt.After graduating Jon moved to Durango CO and played with the band Broke Mountain.It wasn't long before Jon was noticed and taken on by the nationally touring band, the Biscuit Burners. Jon played mandolin with the Biscuit Burners for a year before leaving with lead singer and banjo player Shannon Whitworth in 2006.You can now catch Jon playing lead guitar and singing harmony vocals in the Shannon Whitworth Band. Aside from backing Shannon, Jon plays an annual tour with John Frazier (Hit and Run), Travis Book (Imfamous String Dusters), Andy Thorn (Larry Keel), under the band name the Colorado Playboys. He also teaches Mandolin/banjo/guitar in the Asheville area. WAYWORD SUNZ TRIBUTE