On Christmas morning, as families around the country woke and gathered to open presents, the music world lost an icon.

Tony Rice, master guitarist and bluegrass legend, died suddenly in his kitchen, while preparing his morning coffee, on December 25th, 2020.

Like the loss of John Prine earlier this year, this one rattled me. Tony Rice has long been one of my musical heroes. He exists in the rare air, a true genius and master of his instrument, a man who, when he picked up a guitar before the age of ten, forged a destiny wherein he would redefine a genre and influence players for generations to come.

The first time I saw Tony Rice perform live was at the Starr Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville, where he played a duo gig with long time friend Peter Rowan. At one point, Rowan left the stage, leaving Tony alone with his