Alison Krauss

Alison Maria Krauss was born on July 23, 1971, in Decatur, Illinois, and raised in Champaign, Illinois. Her musical journey began at an early age, displaying an aptitude for the violin. She started classical violin at five, later shifting towards bluegrass music which she discovered around mid-1979 at age eight. By the age of 13, she had already secured the Walnut Valley Festival Fiddle Championship and was recognized as the “Most Promising Fiddler in the Midwest” by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass in America. These formative experiences laid the groundwork for her professional career. She made her recording debut in 1986 on the independent album “Different Strokes” and signed with Rounder Records in 1985, releasing her first solo album, “Too Late to Cry,” in 1987 at 16. This was quickly followed by her first group album with Union Station, “Two Highways,” in 1989. Her 1990 solo album, “I’ve Got That Old Feeling,” marked her first appearance on the Billboard charts and earned her first Grammy Award.

Krauss’s career progressed significantly in the 1990s. In 1992, her second Union Station album, “Every Time You Say Goodbye,” won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. At 21, in 1993, she became the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry and the first bluegrass artist in 29 years to join. Her 1995 compilation album, “Now That I’ve Found You: A Collection,” achieved double-platinum status and brought her mainstream recognition, featuring hits like “When You Say Nothing at All.” This period also saw collaborations that expanded her reach, such as her work with the Cox Family in 1994 and her appearance on Shenandoah’s single “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart,” which earned her a Grammy for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Her 1997 Union Station album, “So Long So Wrong,” also won a Grammy. The late 1990s continued her success with the gold-certified solo album “Forget About It” in 1999.

The 2000s and beyond saw Krauss maintaining her influential status. Following Adam Steffey’s departure from Union Station in 1998, Jerry Douglas joined the band. Their 2001 album, “New Favorite,” and its single “The Lucky One” both won Grammys. The critically and commercially successful soundtrack for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” in 2000, featuring her and Dan Tyminski, sold over seven million copies and won the Album of the Year Grammy in 2002, significantly boosting interest in bluegrass music. Her collaboration with Robert Plant on the 2007 album “Raising Sand” was a major turning point, earning five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. She continued to release successful albums, including “Paper Airplane” with Union Station in 2011, which was her highest-charting album to date, and the solo album “Windy City” in 2017. In 2019, she received the National Medal of Arts, and in 2021, she was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Her recent work includes “Raise the Roof,” another collaboration with Robert Plant in 2021, and Union Station’s “Arcadia” in 2025. Krauss remains a prominent figure in music, recognized for her angelic soprano voice and instrumental prowess.