Clay HessClay Hess is a Grammy award winner who first burst upon the national bluegrass music scene as the red-hot flat-picking guitarist with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, with whom he toured for three years. While Clay was part of the band, the International Bluegrass Music Association awarded Kentucky Thunder their Instrumental Band of the Year Award for both 1999 and 2000. Clay recorded on three projects with Skaggs, and was awarded a Grammy for his participation on the project "Soldier of the Cross."
After leaving Skaggs' band, Clay toured with The Mark Newton Band playing mandolin and then guitar before joining Mountain Heart. Shortly, he left to join Sierra Hull and Highway 111 where he stayed for a few years and put out his second solo CD, "Rain" on the Kang Records label
Clay has decided to step out of the sideman role and is now fronting his own band, The Clay Hess Band, that is rapidly becoming one of the new favorites on the circuit. The band is currently in the Hayes Productions studio working on a new CD that will be coming out on the Kang Records label.
Clay is also an endorser for the Rick Hayes Instruments guitar.
For more information or to purchase the CD "Rain," visit his website at clayhess.com.