Hit Songwriter, Bluegrass Great Ronnie Bowman Dies in Motorcycle Crash

It’s never a good time to lose a titan of bluegrass music like Ronnie Bowman. What makes this loss so tragic is that it comes when the award-winning singer, guitar player, and songwriter is at the relatively young age of 64, and via a motorcycle accident. Ronnie Bowman was severely injured on Saturday afternoon, March 21st in Ashland City, TN. He was transported to Nashville’s Vanderbilt Hospital for treatment where he passed away around 3:00 pm on Sunday, March 22nd.

It’s not a stretch to call Ronnie Bowman one of the most accomplished and respected singers in bluegrass music. He was a primary member of multiple groups and supergroups, the recipient of multiple IBMA awards, and he was also an accomplished songwriter with numerous top credits in country from performers such as Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack, Cody Johnson, and more.

Beyond the laundry list of accomplishments, Ronnie Bowman embodied the spirit and the soul of bluegrass, brought it forth from himself with a gifted voice, and made every piece of music he touched that much better, along with the entirety of the bluegrass and country disciplines as a whole.

Born in Mount Airy, North Carolina in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ronnie Bowman grew up singing Gospel music from the age of three in the churches of his home state and nearby Virginia. His family officially formed a family band early in his life, and Bowman would sing with his four sisters on a regular basis. It was in 1987 when he joined his first bluegrass group called Lost and Found, and commenced a career that became accomplish as any in the modern era.

Ronnie Bowman is probably best known for his 11-year tenure from 1990 to 2001 with the Lonesome River Band, where he, Dan Tyminski, Tim Austin, and Sammy Shelor set the pace for many bluegrass bands through the era. Bowman won the IBMA’s Male Vocalist of the Year award three times through this period (1995, 1998, 1999), and also was responsible for a Song of the Year win via “Three Rusty Nails.”

During this time Bowman also released his well-respected solo record Cold Virginia Night in 1994. The title track won the IBMA Song of the Year, and the album won Album of the Year, establishing Ronnie as one of the premier performers of the time. Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, and Del McCoury all appeared on the record, speaking to the respect Bowman pulled from his peers in the discipline.

After the Lonesome River Band disbanded, Ronnie Bowman released another solo record called Starting Over that again earned him wide critical acclaim. Bowman was also a member of multiple groups, including his own group called The Committee, along with Band of Rucks that was around from about 2015 to 2019, and included Don Rigsby and Kenny Smith.

An entirely different side to Ronnie Bowman’s career what his songwriting catalog as both his bluegrass compositions and other songs he wrote on ended up being recorded by some of the biggest names in the country genre. “Nobody To Blame” became a Top 10 hit for Chris Stapleton off his landmark album Traveller (2015). Bowman also co-wrote “More Of You” and “Outlaw State of Mind” with Stapleton for the album. This made Bowman a big part of one of the best selling country albums of all time.

Ronnie also co-wrote “Never Wanted Nothing More” with Chris Stapleton, which Kenny Chesney turned into a #1 hit in 2007. “It’s Getting Better All The Time” by Brooks & Dunn is another Ronnie Bowman co-write that went #1. Lee Ann Womack’s “The Healing Kind,” Jake Owen’s “The Journey Of Your Life,” The Grascals’ “Life Finds A Way,” and Cody Johnson’s “(I Wouldn’t Go There) If I Were You,” are some other Ronnie Bowman cuts.

In a separate universe, Ronnie Bowman could be considered as a songwriter first. He also was regularly involved in session work throughout his career, performing on Alan Jackson’s bluegrass album from 2015, as well as albums from Loretta Lynn, Sierra Hull, John Fogerty, and many more. Bowman was a long-time friend and collaborator Dan Tyminski, and they regularly appeared together both live and on record.

Upon news of his passing, Dierks Bentley said, “Going to take awhile for it to sink in that Ronnie Bowman is gone. He was the favorite bluegrass and country singer of everyone I know. And he was everyone’s favorite hang.”

Ronnie Bowman leaves us too soon, but not before assembling a mountain of accomplishments, memories, and meaningful moments for himself and others through the medium of bluegrass and country music. Bowman leaves us wanting more, yet delivering as much if not more than any musician could ever want to accomplish and leave behind as a legacy.

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