Biography

Crandall Creek is a high-energy bluegrass group comprised of members with impressive lead and harmony vocalists, award-winning instrumentalists, and acclaimed songwriters. Founding member, guitarist, and songwriter, Jerry Andrews brought together a wealth of talent, including the stellar vocal talents of Carly Greer, who has brought a new life and energy into the band. When Andrews created the band in 2015, he envisioned a group that created its own music with an ear toward the mountain harmonies he heard as a child. He succeeded in that effort when he linked up with Kathy Wigman Lesnock, a West Finley, Pennsylvania songwriter. They met through a mutual friend – Jamie Peck, who owns a recording studio in Wheeling, West Virginia, where the band still records their albums. Crandall Creek also includes multi-instrumentalist Dustin Terpenning on banjo and mandolin, Sav Nelson on bass, and Steve Acord (Patty Loveless, Sam Bush, Jeanette Williams Band) on fiddle and mandolin.

Since its formation, Crandall Creek has achieved significant chart success and reached many career milestones. In 2019, the band released their debut album, Goin' Down Home, followed by their successful album, Headed South, on Bell Buckle Records in 2020. Headed South includes three Bluegrass Today Grassicana chart singles. "Drivin Me Insane" debuted in March 2020 and spent an incredible 68 weeks on the chart. "This Heart of Mine" debuted at #1 in May 2020, followed by the October 2020 release of "The Bean Song," which spent an impressive 65 weeks on the chart.

In 2021, Crandall Creek was chosen by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) as a Bluegrass Ramble Official Showcase Artist. The same year, former band member Abby Lathoca was nominated for the IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year Award.

In 2022, Crandall Creek's single, "Molly Burns," debuted at No. 7 on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Weekly Chart. In addition, the accompanying video featuring Jerry, Dustin, and former lead singer Anna Dunham debuted at No. 1 on The Bluegrass Standard Video Chart in September 2022 and, to date, has over half a million views. In March and April 2023, the single continued to chart, reaching as high as #4 on Cashbox Magazine's Top Bluegrass Song chart.

The band continued to tour the same year, including performances at the world-famous Station Inn in Nashville and many other venues and festivals. In addition, Crandall Creek continues to be the house band for Mountain Rail Adventures in Elkins, West Virginia. People come from all over the United States for a train ride, dinner, and a Crandall Creek bluegrass show.

Also, in 2022, Crandall Creek was inducted as a Charter Member of the Jamboree at the historic Monroe Theatre in Woodsfield, Ohio. The band released their third album, Handprints on the Glass, on their Copper Mountain Records label—the title song – was co-written by Jerry and Mark "Brink" Brinkman.

In 2023, Crandall Creek released the single "Refrigerator Homemade Picture Show," which Tim Raybon calls "a fantastic song." The single, released on Copper Mountain Records, debuted at #11 on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 weekly song chart in March 2023. Guest Shannon Slaughter is featured on lead vocals with Kathy Wigman Lesnock and Carly Greer on harmony vocals; Darrin Vincent on bass; Andy Leftwich on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle; Jessie Baker on banjo; and Josh Swift on Dobro. The timely song was written by Crandall Creek members Jerry Andrews and Kathy Wigman Lesnock,

While Jerry and Kathy are principal songwriters, other band members and family collaborate on songs, like "Love the Thrill," a single they released in August 2023. "We've worked really hard, stayed the course, and we've overcome some pretty major obstacles to get here," Jerry says. "We are so blessed, and I'm so thankful to be with this band doing what we are doing. "Love the Thrill" appeared numerous weeks on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 weekly songs chart in September and October 2023 and debuted on the Bluegrass Today Monthly Top 20 chart in September 2023. The band's success continued when they were enthusiastically received by the audience when they opened for Rhonda Vincent & The Rage at a sold-out performance at the Song of the Mountains television show filmed in Marion, Virginia, scheduled to air in 2024.

Following the success of their singles, Crandall Creek released the beautiful and touching tune "Just 18," and an accompanying music video in October 2023. The song, written by Jerry Andrews, includes a music video featuring Carly Greer, Kathy Wigman Lesnock, her husband, Doug, and band member Dustin Terpenning.
Just in time for the holiday season, Jerry quickly wrote a fun song, "Christmastime," in a matter of minutes, and it was released in November 2023. In January 2024, the band released "Pieces," which immediately gained radio airplay. Those songs, along with "Refrigerator Homemade Picture Show," "Love the Thrill," and "Just 18," appear on Crandall Creek's album, Ain't Love Somethin' released on March 1, 2024.

Also in 2024, the band released well-received new singles, including "Don't Come Knockin',' "Color Me Blue," and a bluegrass gospel song, "Little White Church."
Crandall Creek received numerous 2024 award nominations from various organizations, including Carly Greer's 2024 IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year Award Nomination. They were also chosen as a 2024 IBMA Official Showcase Artist and will perform at the World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC in late September.

The group also picked up five 2024 Josie Music Award Nominations: Bluegrass Group of the Year, Jerry Andrews for Songwriter of the Year, Carly Greer for Music Video of the Year (Female) for "Just 18," Carly Greer for Best Performance in a Music Video (lead actress) for "Just 18," and Carly Greer for Female Country Vocalist of the Year.

Along with their busy tour, the West Virginia-based band is known for its many charitable endeavors. The band believes that the community that supports them deserves support. As a result, band members give part of what they earn to the Bluegrass Music Endeavors Foundation. In 2021 and 2022, the foundation partnered with the International Bluegrass Music Association to create the Crandall Creek Scholarship. The $1,000 awards each year were given to college students who demonstrated an interest and involvement in any aspect of bluegrass music, including but not limited to performance.

Crandall Creek also founded the Steve Gulley Memorial Scholarship, which honors the late singer-songwriter who died from cancer in 2020. The $5,000 scholarship, administered through Crandall Creek's non-profit foundation, is awarded to a college student who best represents the future of bluegrass music.

For more information on Crandall Creek or to make donations to the foundation or scholarship, please visit crandallcreek.com. In addition, you can join the band on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram @crandallcreekband.