about sam

19 year old Berea College student Sam Gleaves comes from the foothills of the Blue Ridge in Wythe County, Virginia, where his family has lived since the 1700s.  He has sung his entire life, under the influence of his grandmother, a gospel singer, his banjo mentor Jim Lloyd and of course, ballad singer Sheila Kay Adams.  He plays a variety of mountain instruments and performs the ballads and stories he has collected from his studies at fiddlers' conventions and in the homes of mountain music masters. 

At Berea, he performs with the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble, directed by Al White.  He balances performing, songwriting, and the rest of life with an intense major in Appalachian Music. 

For more on Sam's music, recordings and projects, visit this website.