Multi-instrumentalist Ryan Holladay first performed on Nashville's historic Grand Ole Opry at the tender age of 5 years old, and is credited with being the youngest performer to grace that revered stage. Ryan is now 15 years old and has already released three albums. He has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show's "World's Most Talented Kids" episode, Nickelodeon's "Figure It Out," and PBS's "Zoom." Largely self-taught, his lightning-fast fingers are equally nimble on the banjo and mandolin, and he plays the guitar and Dobro as well. It all started at his granddad's house, when Ryan - little more than a toddler at the time - started listening to Flatt & Scruggs records. "The first time I heard Earl Scruggs play the banjo, I knew I wanted to play - I thought it sounded really, really cool," he remembers.
Ryan's parents were very supportive, taking him to festivals and encouraging him to sing. When he first met the Opry's Mike Snider at a festival, the precocious 5-year old said, "Hi, I'm Ryan Holladay and I sing tenor." Snider later invited the half-pint picker on the Opry, where he presented Ryan with the Brian Friesen Award - a new Deering banjo - on Dec. 21, 1997. Then he sang a couple of songs and has since performed on the Grand Ole Opry over a dozen times. Ryan has opened shows for acoustic supergroup Nickel Creek and country great Roy Clark, and performed with some of the best acts in the bluegrass business including the Lonesome River Band, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, the Mike Snider Band, Jimbo Whaley and many more. He counts Chris Thile and Sammy Shelor as his current musical influences. The legendary Tom T. and Dixie Hall have been avid supporters of the bluegrass prodigy for a long time. The band recently toured with Trick Pony on a Japan tour.
Ricky Skaggs distinctly remembers hearing Ryan sing backstage at a bluegrass festival and was astounded at his talent. "I think he was in his father's arms, and he just blew me away," recalls Skaggs. That's the kind of talent I want to see here at Skaggs Family Records. Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley helped me as a young player, and we're always looking for the next young talent, to give them a chance. Skaggs Family Records released Ryan's album New Kid in Town in 2005. It opens with the sizzling instrumental Boston Boy - a song Ryan heard while listening to Ricky's music. The first time I heard the song on his album, Ancient Tones, I liked it a lot, Ryan says. The album also includes a song by Ryan's good friend, Dierks Bentley. This was the first time one of Dierk's original tunes appeared on an album.
Ryan is an active participant in Bluegrass in the Schools programs that help promote bluegrass music to American youths. He also co-hosted, along with Sierra Hull, the new International Bluegrass Music Association's DVD entitled Discover Bluegrass that introduces young viewers to the American genre of acoustic roots music. For more information on Ryan Holladay, please visit www.ryanholladay.com or call 678.377.3298 to book them for your next event.
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