David Pendley

David Pendley (born June 22, 1959 in Mitchell County, N.C.) is an American bluegrass mandolinist and singer/songwriter. Pendley is most known for his tenure with "Ric-o-chet", a Boone, N.C. based bluegrass band that recorded several albums for Rebel Records, a legendary independent bluegrass label.
Early years
Born in Spruce Pine, N.C., Pendley was mainly raised in Burke County, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. His initial exposure to bluegrass music came from family, who would periodically gather in the Pendley household for impromptu jam sessions. Some of those jam sessions included bluegrass legends such as Frank Buchanan, Jim Buchanan, and Jack Lawrence.
Pendley began his bluegrass recording career in 1975 while playing electric bass with "Southern Express", a bluegrass band that included his father, Eddie on guitar. A few years later, he joined forces with well-known western N.C. mandolinist and guitarist Clarence Greene in a band called "The Country Bluegrass Boys." It was during this time that David's parents purchased his first mandolin, as a graduation present from high school.
His first regular gig as a mandolin player began in 1978 with "Blue Denim," replacing Herschel Sizemore. The band was fronted by R.C. Harris and included Terry Baucom on banjo and fiddle. On some shows, Blue Denim would employ Jim Buchanan and Bobby Hicks playing twin fiddles, with Baucom on banjo.
Ric-o-chet
After performing with several bluegrass bands near his hometown, Pendley became the mandolin player and vocalist for "Ric-o-chet" in 1988. The band was formed to perform at the first Merle Watson Memorial Festival in Wilkesboro, N.C. Ric-o-chet performed throughout the south and recorded several independent projects. In 1992, the band recorded a project in Bristol, VA which was produced by Tim Stafford, the former guitarist for Alison Krauss and Union Station. Stafford pitched the project to Rebel Records president David Freeman, who signed the band to the label and distributed the album worldwide. One song, "My Last Run," was a hit for the band and remained on the bluegrass charts for eight consecutive months.
A second album entitled "Carolina Memories" was released in 1994. The album was recorded at Horizon Studios in Asheville and was produced by bluegrass great Tony Rice. In Rice's liner notes of the album, he stated that "Dave Pendley's mandolin playing dictates exactly how this music form should be played." Rice also thought Pendley's mandolin style was reminiscent of his (Rice's) brother, Larry.
Pendley toured nationwide with the band throughout the 1990s. Ric-o-chet's personnel included Jimmy Trivette on bass, Randy Greer on guitar, Steve Lewis on banjo, and Jim Van Cleve on fiddle. He departed the band in December, 1997.
Currently
Pendley joined "Whitewater Bluegrass Co." in 2007, and performs primarily around the Asheville, N.C. area approximately 140 dates per year. The band's current personnel includes "Uncle" Ted White on bass, Bill Byerly on guitar, Steve Sutton on banjo, and Gary Mackey on fiddle. Sutton is a former banjoist with Jimmy Martin, Rhonda Vincent, and Alecia Nugent. Mackey performed with the Goose Creek Symphony and has recorded with Dolly Parton.
In 2008, he began recording his first mandolin album, which is scheduled for release in the summer of 2009.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu