At 13, Ronnie McCoury saw Bill Monroe play live, picked up a mandolin, and six months later was touring with his father's band. This deep dive traces the American bluegrass mandolinist, singer, songwriter and producer from York County, Pennsylvania, through eight consecutive IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year awards and a career that bridges the founders of the genre and the modern cross-genre landscape.

We examine why growing up in Del McCoury's house made him quit violin for sports, how he fused Monroe's tradition with the progressive phrasing of David Grisman and Sam Bush, and how he balanced high school algebra with major festivals. We also cover Mandolin Extravaganza, his solo debut Heartbreak Town, producing his father's albums, and sessions with everyone from Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

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