Jesse Smathers was born and raised in Eden, North Carolina but holds his Western NC roots close. He comes from a long line of musicians: his grandfather, Harold Smathers, and grand Uncle Luke Smathers, recorded for June Appal and were awarded the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award in 1993 for their contributions to North Carolina Folk Music. This influence started the trajectory of his musical journey.

Jesse began playing the guitar at age eleven and not long after took to the mandolin. He spent his teens competing at fiddlers conventions across North Carolina and Virginia, and in 2010 he began his career as a touring musician with the James King Band playing mandolin and providing the tenor harmonies. Later he rejoined the band performing guitar and vocals. 

 In 2015, Lonesome River Band welcomed him to the group as the mandolin player and in 2017, Jesse won the IBMA Momentum Award for Vocalist of the Year. In 2021, Jesse switched over to the guitar position. In 2022 Jesse released his first self-titled solo album.

Jesse currently lives in Southwest Virginia, near Floyd and teaches with the Handmade Music School, when not touring with the Lonesome River Band. He takes much joy in passing along Appalachian traditions, and cultivating community with the music he makes.

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Jesse Smathers