Bill Robinson and Friends
Bill Robinson and Friends have made a solid name for themselves in the hammered dulcimer, folk and bluegrass communities throughout the United States and abroad. A string multi-instrumentalist, Bill is an authentic traditional hammered dulcimer player with a bluegrass style and repertoire all his own.
Music on the hammered dulcimer has been part of Bill's life from the very beginning. He is a third generation player, beginning with his paternal grandmother. His daughter, Monica, performs on hammered dulcimer in Michigan. Through stage appearances, recordings, and teaching, Bill is inspiring a new generation to carry on the music he learned from his ancestors.
Bill’s “Friends” this year are expected to include Marvin Robinson on guitar, Sue Gleason on bass, Merle Lawson on banjo, and Mike Gleason on fiddle. Watch for other friends, too!
Bill was named the 2003 North American Country Music Association International “Instrumentalist of the Year” in the bluegrass category, and received the “Little Jimmy Dempsey Instrumentalist of the Year Award.” Bill was inducted into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame, has received five Illinois Arts Council Master/Apprentice Program awards and three Fellowship awards, was nominated for the National Heritage award, and is a member of the Artstour. Bill has received a lifetime membership in the Original Dulcimer Players Club, and the Pioneer Award from the Illinois Country Music Association. And in 2012 he was the recipient of The Gebhard Woods Dulcimer and Traditional Music Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.
