Biography

Vocalist Linda Lay heads an all-star ensemble of award winning instrumentalists. She spent her early childhood playing music with her father in a family band and spent alot of her time on Saturday nights at the Carter Fold in Hiltons, Virginia. Linda played fifteen years with the group Appalachian Trail before forming Springfield Exit with her husband, David. They have toured nationally and was a featured vocailst on the Masters of the Steel String Guitar tour. She is recognized as a Master Artist in traditional singing for the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Linda has performed with singers across several genres of music, from country's Vern Gosdin and Carl Jackson to Piedmont blue singer, John Cephas.

Her husband David grew up listening to his father sing and preach and was fortunate to be able to attend a lot of the old camp meetings where he heard some of the greats in Southern Gospel. David played bass for a gospel group when he met Linda. He switched to guitar and after a brief courtship they married and he was performing in front of thousands of listeners. David is a very solid, versatile rhythm player and is able to adapt to the diverse styles of music with ease.

David McLaughlin is the third founding member of the group. He's perhaps best known for his signature mandolin playing and harmony singing with the Johnson Mountain Boys, appearing on eight of their albums for the major indie label Rounder Records, two of which were Grammy finalists. The band's live album won the first International Bluegrass Music Associations (IBMA) Album of the Year award. Numerous session credits include his work with Appalachian singer and National Heritage Fellowship winner Hazel Dickens.

Singer and songwriter Marshall Wilborn is a 4-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year whose songs have been recorded by Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent and Sierra Hull. Marshall spent 15 years touring and recording with his wife and their award winning group, the Lynn Morris Band. Orginally from Austin, Texas, Marshall is one of the most sought-after Bluegrass session and touring bassists, performing and recording with the Bluegrass super-group, Longview on all of their albums. He was also bassist and vocalist for the Johnson Mountain Boys.

Tom Adams, 3-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year has been called "one of the best banjo players ever" by Ricky Skaggs. Tom's recording of Earl Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Rock" was named the 2013 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year by IBMA. Together with Marshal Wilborn and David McLaughlin, Tom was a long-time member of the Johnson Mountain Boys.