Chris Stifel
Chris Stifel (died September 20, 2026) was a bluegrass singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Washington, D.C. He sang in an a cappella group and developed his banjo and guitar playing while a student at Princeton. He then returned to Washington to study law at Catholic University and played in regional bands alongside his legal career. He replaced Keith Whitley on guitar in Country Store, the Virginia band led by mandolinist Jimmy Gaudreau, in the mid-1970s. He later performed with Acoustic Outlet, alongside Mike Munford, Dede Wyland and Akira Otsuka, and with Grass Menagerie. He joined Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie on guitar in the late 2000s, with Wayne Lanham on mandolin and Teri Chism on bass, and appeared on two of the band's recordings. Sweet Dixie recorded several of his songs, including "Thank Him for the Miracle" and "Dancin' Annie."
In the newsletter
- No. 11 Spring 1997