Deanie Richardson
Deanie Richardson is an American country and bluegrass fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. Born and raised in a musical family in Kingston Springs, Tennessee, she began playing the fiddle at age nine and made her performance debut on the Grand Ole Opry at age thirteen. She became one of Nashville’s most sought-after backing instrumentalists, touring and recording with icons including Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, and The Chieftains. In 2012, she co-founded the all-female bluegrass supergroup Sister Sadie. The band made history in 2020 as the first all-female ensemble named the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainer of the Year. Concurrently, Richardson was named the IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2024, alongside an Academy of Country Music (ACM) Fiddle Player of the Year honor in 2010.