David McLaughlin and Marshall Wilborn with Johnson Mountain Boys,
and at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival in 2013 – photo by Ted Lehmann
In recognition of the Johnson Mountain Boys having been inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2020, Virginia Delegate Wendy Gooditis, representing Winchester, proposed a resolution to the Virginia legislature to honor his constituents, Marshall Wilborn and David McLaughlin, both members of the Johnson Mountain Boys.
The resolution was passed by the House of Delegates, which reads:
WHEREAS, Winchester residents David McLaughlin and Marshall Wilborn were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame as members of the Johnson Mountain Boys in 2020; and
WHEREAS, David McLaughlin was the original fiddle player of the Johnson Mountain Boys when the bluegrass band formed in 1978 and switched to mandolin when he returned to the group in 1981 after a hiatus to attend college; and
WHEREAS, David McLaughlin and the Johnson Mountain Boys recorded six albums and performed in numerous concerts throughout the early 1980s, and Marshall Wilborn brought a new dimension to the group when he joined as a bassist in 1986; and
WHEREAS, while the Johnson Mountain Boys parted ways in 1988, David McLaughlin, Marshall Wilborn, and the other members of the quintet were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1989 after the critical and commercial success of their farewell concert’s live album, At the Old Schoolhouse; and
WHEREAS, the Johnson Mountain Boys released their 10th and final album, Blue Diamond, in 1993 and performed their final concert together in 1996; David McLaughlin and Marshall Wilborn both continue to play with other local musical groups and have offered private lessons to aspiring musicians; and
WHEREAS, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Bluegrass Music Association held a virtual ceremony to honor David McLaughlin, Marshall Wilborn, and their fellow members of the Johnson Mountain Boys during their induction into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That David McLaughlin and Marshall Wilborn hereby be commended on their induction into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame with the Johnson Mountain Boys in 2020; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to David McLaughlin and Marshall Wilborn as an expression of the House of Delegates’ admiration for their contributions to the American musical landscape.
Congratulations for this honor, David and Marshall!
Both remain active in bluegrass music. Marshall is the bassist with Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, and David is mandolinist with Springfield Exit, with Linda and David Lay.
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