Barry Bales

Barry Bales is the bass player and harmony vocalist for Alison Krauss and Union Station.

Barry grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. Early memories of music include listening to the records of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Bob Wills, Buck Owens and Hank Thompson from his father's extensive collection. He started experimenting with various instruments at the age of 10, starting with guitar. By age 15, Barry had found the bass and was playing regionally in various groups. Bales attended East Tennessee State University, participating in the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music program, as did future Union Station members Tim Stafford and Adam Steffey. [http://www.etsu.edu/cass/bluegrass/alumni.asp] It was while performing with many of these musicians that he began traveling in ever-wider musical circles, eventually landing the bass job with Union Station in 1990.

Over the years, Barry has become one of the most in-demand session players in acoustic music. He has recorded and performed with such artists as Reba McEntire, Susan Ashton, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Bowman, the Cox Family, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Dan Tyminski, Patty Loveless and many others.