The Gary Waldrep Band comes from the small community of Kilpatrick, nestled in the Northeastern corner of Alabama. The band's genesis came in the spring of 1998 when Gary Waldrep, formerly of the Warrior River Boys and Sound Mountain Boys, decided he wanted to present his own brand of bluegrass, country, old-time, and gospel music with the influence of the Sand Mountain regional sound he was raised on. Gary was nominated for a Grammy award for his recording "Gary Waldrep Vintage Bluegrass" on Old Homestead Records. His dedication to preserving and performing the traditional sounds of the clawhammer banjo brought him the "The Old Time Player of the Year' award by the Society of Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America two years in a row. The Alabama State Council on the Arts has deemed him Alabama's youngest Master Musician.