At the tender age of fourteen, Tim
Graves took the stage for the first time playing dobro for an East
Tennessee band called Cedar Run. After honing his skills for
the next three years and having appeared on three
recordings, Graves decided it was time to move on. He
immediately accepted a dobro position with Bobby Smith & the
Boys from Shiloh.
In 1981, Graves and his longtime friend,
Bennie Boling, formed "Cherokee" and launched their talents at the
1982 "World's Fair" in Knoxville, TN. There they were
awarded the prestigious title of "Official World's Fair Bluegrass
Band." By the mid-eighties, Graves decided to make the move
to Music City and became a vital member of James Monroe & the
Midnight Ramblers. By now, Tim's name was becoming
synonymous, in and around Nashville, with the word
"Dobro." Those same talents eventually landed him a weekly
spot on the Grand Ole Opry with Opry Member, Wilma Lee
Cooper.
Graves still was feeling the calling to
team up with Boling to try to rekindle the flame that the group,
Cherokee once had. Following a change to "Tim Graves
& Cherokee," they have recorded nine projects with
several leading record labels.
For two years (2001-03), Graves was the the
full-time Dobro player for bluegrass legends & Opry members,
The Osborne Brothers. After that two-year absence from the
fans, Tim Graves & Cherokee returns to continue in 2004 as a
leading act in bluegrass music.
The band consists of Tim Graves (dobro and
lead vocal), Bennie Boling (bass and bass vocal), Jody Elmore
(guitar and baritone vocal), and Joe Miller (banjo and tenor
vocal).
Graves has been awarded as SPBGMA's Dobro
Player of the Year 2004-2007. This is one of the best
bluegrass groups in the country today. When you watch this
group, you will be seeing experience at
work.
