Luke McKnight

Variety is the spice of life, and variety is what you will find in the musical repertoire of Luke McKnight and Thunder Road. Although his musical roots can be traced back five generations to his great, great grandfather, Charlie McReynolds, who recorded on the historic Bristol Sessions for RCA in 1927, and to his grandfather, the legendary Jesse McReynolds of the world renowned country/bluegrass Jim and Jesse duo, Luke was exposed to a wide variety of musical styles and types at a very early age. Although his musical performances will include mostly traditional Bluegrass, it will also feature anything from gospel, to country, to Chuck Berry’s rockin’ “Maybelline”, to the classic sounds of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Luke’s interest in music came at an early age. He grew up around the Grand Ole Opry watching Bill Monroe, The Osborne Brothers, Roy Acuff , Minnie Pearl, Grandpa Jones and of course Jim and Jesse. On his 8th birthday, Jesse presented Luke with his first mandolin, a Flatiron A style. Even at such a young age, you could see the pride and appreciation that he felt to receive such a special gift. In Luke's eyes, this was an incredible treasure. After learning a few basic chords, Luke felt confident enough to perform at various public appearances with “Jim & Jesse”. After a few years, he began learning Jesse’s unique style of playing known as “crosspicking” or “McReynolds Style”. In May of 1997, at age 14, Luke became a full time member of “Jim & Jesse’s” band “The Virginia Boys”. His natural vocal talents matured while his unique sense of humor developed as he learned to banter back and forth with Jim in the stage spotlight.During his musical career, Luke has had the opportunity to perform numerous times at the Grand Ole Opry, Bluegrass Night at the Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium, West Point Academy, the Smithsonian, and the George Washington University to name a few. He has traveled and performed in the United States from the east coast to the west coast, the Bahamas, Canada and Israel. His TV appearances include Grand Ole Opry Live, Prime Time Country, and Grand Ole Opry Backstage. He has been featured in numerous newspaper articles as well as magazines, “Bluegrass Unlimited” and “Bluegrass Now”. Luke’s first album debut was entitled “Supergrass 2000” and was released in late 1999. He has since recorded on several guest spots with various other artists, Bluegrass and Country.Not only was Luke a vital part of “Jim & Jesse’s” group, but he began booking shows in the spring of 2002 with his own group, Thunder Road. Luke was allowed the incredible responsibility of filling in for “Jim & Jesse” during their three month hiatus from the road in 2002. During this time he was featured twice on The Grand Ole Opry. Sadly, he lost his uncle, Jim, to cancer in December of 2002. He will always hold Jim very dear to his heart, as he was one of his greatest inspirations to carry on the music tradition.While Luke appreciates the many words of encouragement he has received from artists at the Grand Ole Opry and fans all around the country, he will always be gratefully indebted to his grandfather, Jesse, and his uncle, Jim, for giving him the opportunity to do what he loves most.Luke has met many wonderful people and friends along the way, and cherishes every moment he has spent creating life long memories. And he will never forget the roots from which he came…Luke has recently released his latest album entitled 'Leader of the Band', which features many wonderful songs inspired by some of Luke's favorite artists. This album also includes a song written by Luke himself, which is entitled 'The Crossing'. Luke has very much enjoyed his time spent recording this album with his very talented family and friends. His appreciation for this opportunity goes beyond words.