 Nashville, Tenn. (nternational Bluegrass Music Association) – Just three short years after leaving their Los Angeles home to hit the road full time, the Cherryholmes' first album for Skaggs Family Records debuts at No. 3 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart. This high-energy collection rocketed onto the charts to land in the esteemed company of bluegrass supergroups Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss & Union Station, who round out the top 3 chart positions. The self-titled album Cherryholmes, released Sept. 27, comes on the heels of three high-profile International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Award nominations for this road-tested family of world-class musicians. Their final round nominations include Entertainer of the Year and Emerging Artist of the Year – the first time ever in the history of the awards show that an act has been nominated in both categories – as well as Female Vocalist of the Year for Cia Cherryholmes, the eldest daughter. The 16th Annual IBMA Awards take place Thursday, Oct. 27 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. 'It's been such an incredible year for us – this is definitely the icing on the cake!' said Jere Cherryholmes, father. 'We feel blessed to be able to play music full time with our kids and travel the country, which is a tremendous learning experience for them.' Sandy Cherryholmes was already home schooling their children-Cia, B.J., Skip and Molly-so incorporating music into the lesson plan was a natural progression. Combining hard work, talent and the sheer love of making music, the band quickly progressed and began playing dates around the Western states. By 2002, Jere was ready to quit his job as a carpenter for the Los Angeles County school system and before long they were doing over 250 dates a year and taking the bluegrass world by storm with their breakneck brand of traditional music.
"We are just so proud of the Cherryholmes – they are one of the most dedicated, talented bands I know,' said Ricky Skaggs, president of Skaggs Family Records. 'We knew we had something very special when we signed them, and our instincts were right. They are wonderful people and we're thrilled for their success.'
Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart first appeared on July 20, 2002. The Cherryholmes' debut will appear in the October 15, 2005 edition of the magazine.
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