Bob Hammons & Wildwood (pictured below) is an award-winning bluegrass gospel trio based out of the Springfield, MO area.  It is our pleasure to bring this website to our devoted fans.  We hope you enjoy your visit and we hope to see you at an upcoming concert.  God Bless!

History

Bob Hammons & Wildwood is a gospel bluegrass group from the Springfield, MO area. The group was formed upon the disbanding of Green Valley Grass in January of 2009. Green Valley Grass formed in 1997 and developed an extremely large following throughout the Midwest and was given considerable air time on various radio stations, nationally and internationally. Much positive feedback was received from all over the United States (and abroad) as the group gained the reputation for having some of the finest vocal harmonies found in bluegrass gospel music. 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). The group was one of the six top nominees for the National Bluegrass Gospel Group of the Year for both 2003 and 2004. They received numerous other SPBGMA and Country Gospel Music Association (CGMA) award nominations (see the ‘Awards’ page on this web site). Green Valley Grass had four songs appear on the European Country Gospel Chart. They released seven recordings in all during their tenure(see our discography page).

When Green Valley Grass disbanded in January of 2009, two of the members, Bob Hammons and Doug Mitcham, joined with Laura Pilant (Bob Hammons’ daughter) to form ‘Bob Hammons & Wildwood’. They were voted SPBGMA Midwest Vocal Group of the Year for both 2010 and 2011. They were also voted SPBGMA Midwest 2011 and 2012 Gospel Group of the year. In addition to those honors, Bob Hammons has been voted SPBGMA Midwest Song Writer of the Year four times (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011).  Bob and Laura were also voted SPBGMA Midwest Male and Female Vocalist of the Year, respectively, for 2012.  The trio has released four recordings (see our Discography page). The ‘If Not For The Cross’ recording was voted SPBGMA Midwest bluegrass album of the year for 2011. Some background information for each group member follows:

Bob Hammons

Bob is the spokesman for the group and, as mentioned above, was a member of Green Valley Grass. He plays guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and sings all the vocal parts. 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 grew up playing music and, as mentioned previously, is an award winning song writer and vocalist.

Laura Pilant

Laura (Lori) is Bob’s daughter and would occasionally sing in church prior to formation of the group but that was her only musical involvement. When the group was formed, she began to learn to play the upright bass along with learning to sing harmony and lead vocals with Bob and Doug. The nominations and awards the group has won attests to what a good job she has done in such a short time. As mentioned previously, Lori was voted SPBGMA Midwest Female Vocalist of the Year for 2012.  Lori resides in Ozark, MO.

Doug Mitcham

Doug was also a member of Green Valley Grass and primarily plays guitar, mandolin, and some fiddle. He also sings all the vocal parts. 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 playing mandolin and some fiddle during his tenure with Green Valley Grass. He resides in Rogersville, MO and is a professor of computer science and mathematics at Evangel University in Springfield, MO.

It has truly been exciting for the group to experience the wonderful response received thus far and to have met so many wonderful people. The Lord is truly blessing them as they share their music with others.