Tony Rice, one of the most influential bluegrass guitarists of all time, died on December 25, at the International Bluegrass Association confirmed. He was 69 years old. Rice was nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame in 2013. “Few will match his skill and influence,” the organization said in a statement. Rice, whose career spanned 40 years, played with the band New South and frequently collaborated with other bluegrass musicians David Grisman and Norman Blake. Famous for his flatpicking guitar style, Rice also led the Tony Rice Unit and Bluegrass Album Band, releasing the albums Manzanita and Church Street Blues under the first with great acclaim. Rice was unable to sing after a diagnosis of muscle tension dysphonia in 1994, and his last public guitar performance was in 2013, during his induction at the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
Tributes to Rice arrived on social media after his death, with mandolin player Chris Thile tweeting, “No one has had a more profound impact on my musical world. His way of playing, singing, writing and making arrangements has broken the mold of bluegrass and will forever attest to the fact that music can take you anywhere, from anywhere. ”Violinist Mark O’Conner wrote of Rice and his signature guitar:“ Tony was my guitar hero that really mattered to me – in the dreadnought Martin D-28 – his sound and sound. Was all. ”Rice’s friend and collaborator, Ricky Skaggs, added on Facebook:“ Tony Rice was the most influential acoustic guitarist in the past 50 years ”.