Green Valley Grass is a gospel bluegrass group from the Oldfield, MO area (just southeast of Springfield, MO). The group was named after the Green Valley Church, where some of the group members were raised. A picture of this church is shown on the group’s CDs and is featured on the cover of their ‘Keep The Candles Burning’ recording. Originating out of an informal jam session prior to Christmas of 1996, the group has continued to develop, experiencing a wonderful response from audiences around the Midwest and beyond.
In 1997, the group started out by playing at small country churches throughout the Ozarks. In 1998, an invitation was received to do a guest spot at the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival in Conway, MO. The exposure and overwhelming response received at that festival lead to guest spots at other festivals that summer, which, in turn, lead to several bookings for the 1999 festival season. The group continued to experience a very exciting response at those bookings and has enjoyed steady growth since. Helping spur the gain in popularity was the release of their first recording (Green Valley Memories) in the spring of 1999 and the release of their second recording (Back Home Memories) in February of 2000. Five recordings have been released since then; ‘Keep The Candles Burning’ in 2001, ‘Jesus Will Be With Me’ in 2002, ‘Cabin On The Hill’ in 2003, 'Fields of Home' in 2005, and 'Journey On' in 2006. The busy recording schedule has been due to requests of the group’s supporters along with the desire of the group to continue ministering to radio and live audiences everywhere proclaiming the Gospel in song.
Green Valley Grass has developed an extremely large following throughout the Midwest and is given considerable air time on various radio stations, especially in the southwest MO area. Much positive feedback has been received from all over the United States as the group has gained the reputation for having some of the finest vocal harmonies found in bluegrass gospel music today. The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) voted Green Valley Grass the Midwest Bluegrass Gospel Group of the Year for five straight years (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007). Group member Bob Hammons was also voted Midwest Song Writer of the Year for 2007 and 2008. Many of his new songs can be heard on the 'Journey On' recording. The group was one of the six top nominees for the National Bluegrass Gospel Group of the Year for both 2003 and 2004. They have received numerous other SPBGMA and Country Gospel Music Association (CGMA) award nominations (see the 'Awards' page on this web site).
The group has been extremely pleased to receive requests for their music from outside of the country as well. The group’s renditions of ‘Peace Like A River’, ‘The Old Song Leader’, ‘What’s Left’, and 'Serenaded By Angels' have all appeared on the European Country Gospel Chart (which is no longer being maintained). Green Valley Grass recordings have been requested and sent to radio stations and syndicated shows in France, The Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Canada, Italy, and Ireland with the syndicated shows reaching many other countries. All of the group’s recordings are available from County Sales in Floyd, VA, or directly from the group.
Green Valley Grass personnel are: Bob Hammons, Wanda (Hammons) Osburn, Debbie Whitaker, and Doug Mitcham. Information on these members follows:
Bob Hammons: Bob is the spokesman for the group. He plays guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and sings lead and bass (although all group members sing various parts as needed for a particular song). Bob is from the Bradleyville, MO area. For several years prior to the formation of Green Valley Grass, Bob could be found playing and singing at the Oldfield Opry in Oldfield, MO each Saturday night. He still fills in there on occasion when the group has a rare Saturday night off. Bob is an original member of the group.
Wanda (Hammons) Osburn: Wanda is Bob’s younger sister. She plays rhythm guitar and sings high tenor and lead. She is another original member of the group. She grew up playing and singing with Bob in church. They developed excellent harmony through those early years. She is also from the Bradleyville, MO area.
Debbie Whitaker: Debbie plays the upright bass and sings lead and alto for the group. She resides in the Good Hope, MO area and often plays the piano for her church (when not on the road). She is an original member of the group and contributes significantly to the tight harmony the group is known for. She has a wonderful ear for music and also has a fantastic memory. The group jokes that, if watched closely during a concert, she may on several occasions be seen whispering words of songs to Bob and telling the group what key the songs should be played in.
Doug Mitcham: Doug joined the group after they had formed and were playing churches throughout the Ozarks. He plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, and fiddle, and sings lead, tenor, and bass for the group. He was born and raised in Massachusetts. He grew up taking piano lessons and, when still a young boy, had a neighbor from Kentucky teach him the guitar. His interest in acoustic music grew and was further fueled by that area’s folk boom in the 70’s (in which many top bluegrass groups were brought into the area for concerts). He was also influenced by bluegrass celebrities living in that area at the time such as Don Stover, Joe Val, and Bill Kieth. Doug’s father was from Georgia and his family therefore made many trips to the south while he was growing up. That southern influence also had a major influence on his musical preferences. Doug picked up the banjo after graduating from high school and began filling in on mandolin on various songs after being with the group for a few years. He resides in Rogersville, MO and is a professor of computer science and mathematics at Evangel University in Springfield.
It has truly been exciting for the group to experience the wonderful response received and to have met so many wonderful people. The Lord has truly blessed them as they strive to make their music the very best it can be and to have it be heard by as many people as possible.