Claire Lynch (January 2008)

Claire Lynch is a native of Poughkeepsie, New York; her family moved to the tiny North Alabama town of Hazel Green (about two hours south of Nashville) when Claire was 12 years old.  Inspired by the pop songs of Joni Mitchell & The Beatles, Claire sang as a youngster in an informal trio with her sisters.

In her late teens, Claire was deeply inspired by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's landmark 'Will the Circle be Unbroken' album in 1972.  She then heard her first bluegrass band, The McLain Family Band, & was immediately smitten by this genre of music.

Claire met her future husband Larry in high school.  Following graduation, Claire worked at an insurance agency while Larry attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Multi-instrumentalist Larry Lynch formed Hickory Wind in 1973 & Claire was invited to become their lead singer.

The band landed a 'house-band' job in Birmingham, Alabama & renamed themselves The Front Porch String Band.  Over the next seven years, Claire & Larry, who were married in 1976, and The Front Porch String Band became one of the hardest-working groups in Alabama.

In 1975, Larry borrowed $1,000 & made 'Smilin' at You', the first Front Porch String Band album.  A year later, in 1976, six hours in a recording studio resulted in the 'Country Rain' album.  Both releases, however, sank without a trace.

But at a festival appearance, Claire & Larry met John Starling, a former member of Seldom Scene who had moved to Alabama in the hope of finding some musical soul-mates.

In 1981, the Front Porch String Band saw the release of a self-titled, nationally-distributed album on Rebel Records, while Claire released her solo debut album, 'Breakin' It', on the smaller Ambush label.

When Claire became pregnant with the first of two children in 1982, she & Larry disbanded the Front Porch String Band & settled in northern Alabama.  Larry returned to college to earn a degree in accounting & Claire took a job in university administration.

For Claire, retirement was short-lived.  John Starling had introduced her to Nashville songwriter Paul Craft who took an interest in Claire's songwriting abilities & urged Kathy Mattea to record 'Hills of Alabam' (included on the 'Willow in the Wind' album on Mercury Records in 1989) & Patty Loveless to sing 'Some morning soon'.

As a result of the release of her solo debut album 'Breakin' It' in 1981, Claire soon found herself commuting to Nashville to sing backup vocals on albums by Patty Loveless, Karen Staley, Irene Kelley & Skip Ewing.

In 1990, Claire & Larry reformed a new version of the Front Porch String Band & saw the release of their comeback album 'Lines & Traces' on Rebel Records, a mainstream bluegrass record label, who also re-released the first Front Porch String Band album from 1981.

In 1992, Claire was offered her first Music Row staff songwriting contract.  Stephanie Davis recorded Claire's 'Moonlighter' & dazzled thousands with the song when she performed it as the opening act for Garth Brooks in 1993.

'Friends for a Lifetime', a Claire Lynch gospel album, saw the light of day on the Brentwood Records label in the late part of 1993 & received glowing reviews in the musical press; the album was subsequently re-released in 1995.

Claire Lynch's 1995 album 'Moonlighter' was nominated for a Grammy Award as 'Best Bluegrass Album'.

Subsequent album releases from Claire Lynch include 'Silver & Gold' (1997), 'Love-light' (2000), 'Out in the Country' (2001), 'New Day (2006)' & 'Crowd Favourites' (2007).

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