Union Station (band)

Union Station is an American bluegrass and country band associated with singer Alison Krauss. The act established in 1987 as a backup band for Krauss is usually referred to as Alison Krauss and Union Station and was initially composed of Krauss, Jeff White, Mike Harman and John Pennell. Later additions included Tim Stafford, Ron Block, Adam Steffey, Barry Bales and Larry Atamanuik. In 1992, Stafford was replaced by guitar and mandolin player Dan Tyminski and in 1998, Steffey left and was replaced by dobro player Jerry Douglas.

This article is about band Alison Krauss and Union Station. For Alison Krauss' solo career and other collaborations, see Alison Krauss.

Union Station
Alison Krauss of Union Station band in 2011 during a concert
Background information
Also known as	Alison Krauss and Union Station, Alison Krauss & Union Station
Origin	USA
Genres	Bluegrass, country
Years active	1987-present
Associated acts	Alison Krauss
Members	Alison Krauss Dan Tyminski Ron Block Barry Bales Jerry Douglas Larry Atamanuik
Past members	Tim Stafford Adam Steffey Jeff White John Pennell Mark Harman

Career

Alison Krauss had signed to Rounder Records, and at age 16 released her 1987 debut album Too Late to Cry. Soon after she joined Union Station, with Jeff White, John Pennell, and Mike Harman as her backing band. Their debut album in 1989 was Two Highways.[1] The album included the traditional tunes "Wild Bill Jones" and "Beaumont Rag", along with a bluegrass interpretation of The Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider".

Krauss' contract with Rounder Records required her to alternate between releasing a solo album and an album with Union Station. So after yet another solo album I've Got That Old Feeling in 1990, Krauss' second Union Station album was Every Time You Say Goodbye released in 1992. The album went on to win her second Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album of the year. This album featured a completely different lineup (other than Krauss): Tim Stafford, Ron Block, Adam Steffey, and Barry Bales. Bales and Block would become permanent fixtures in the band.

Tim Stafford left the band in 1992[2] and was replaced by mandolin and guitar player Dan Tyminski from Lonesome River Band. During 1993, Tyminski briefly rejoined Lonesome River Band and was then replaced by John R. Bowman who toured with Union Station until 1994[3] when Tyminski returned as a permanent member.

So Long So Wrong, another Union Station album, was released in 1997 and won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. One critic said its sound was "rather untraditional" and "likely [to] change quite a few ... minds about bluegrass".[4] Included on the album is the track "It Doesn't Matter", which was featured in the second season premiere episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer[5] and was included on the Buffy soundtrack in 1999.

Adam Steffey left Union Station in 1998, and was replaced by renowned Dobro player Jerry Douglas.

Their next album, New Favorite, was released on August 14, 2001. The album went on to win the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, with the single "The Lucky One" winning a Grammy as well. Lonely Runs Both Ways was released in 2004, and eventually became another Alison Krauss & Union Station gold certified album. Ron Block described Lonely Runs Both Ways as "pretty much... what we've always done" in terms of song selection and the style, in which those songs were recorded.[6] Krauss believes the group "was probably the most unprepared we've ever been" for the album and that songs were chosen as needed rather than planned beforehand.

Returning with Union Station, Alison Krauss released a new album called Paper Airplane on April 12, 2011,[7] the follow-up album to Lonely Runs Both Ways (2004). Mike Shipley (the engineering mixer) said that it took a lot of time to do the album because of Krauss' non-stop migraines.[8][9]

In 2014, she and her band Union Station toured with Willie Nelson and Family, with special guests Kacey Musgraves, and The Devil Makes Three.[10][11][12][13]

Members

Current members

• Alison Krauss - lead vocals, piano, fiddle (1987–present)
• Larry Atamanuik - drums, percussion (1987–present)
• Ron Block - guitar, banjo (1991–present)
• Barry Bales - bass (1990–present)
• Dan Tyminski - vocals, guitar, mandolin (1992–1993, 1994–present)
• Jerry Douglas - dobro (1998–present)

Former members

• Dave Denman - vocals, guitar (1987–1992)
• Mike Harman - banjo, vocals (1987–1992)
• John R. Bowman - guitar (1993–1994)
• Alison Brown - guitar, banjo (1987–1991)
• Viktor Krauss - bass (1989–1990)
• John Pennell - bass (1987–1989)
• Tim Stafford - guitar, mandolin (1990–1992)
• Adam Steffey - mandolin (1990–1998)
• Jeff White - guitar, vocals (1987–1990)

Discography

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions						Certifications (sales threshold)
		US Country [14]	US [15]	US Grass [16]	CAN [17]	NL [18]	UK [19]
Two Highways	Release date: 1989 Label: Rounder Records Formats: LP, CD, cassette	—	—	—	—	—	—
Every Time You Say Goodbye	Release date: February 14, 1992 Label: Rounder Records Formats: CD, cassette	75 [20]	—	—	—	—	—
So Long So Wrong	Release date: March 25, 1997 Label: Rounder Records Formats: CD, cassette	4	45	—	—	—	123	US: Gold[21]
New Favorite	Release date: August 14, 2001 Label: Rounder Records Formats: CD, cassette	3	35	2	—	—	72	US: Gold[22]
Live	Release date: November 5, 2002 Label: Rounder Records Formats: CD, cassette	9	36	1				CAN: Gold[23] US: 2× Platinum[24]
Lonely Runs Both Ways	Release date: November 23, 2004 Label: Rounder Records Formats: CD, music download	6	29	1	—	90	126	US: Gold[25]
Paper Airplane	Release date: April 12, 2011 Label: Rounder Records Formats: CD, LP, music download	1	3	1	23	49	11	UK: Silver[26]
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

1. "Alison Krauss Biography". CMT.com. Retrieved 2006-06-06.
2. "Tim Stafford - Bio". Timstaffordguitar.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
3. "John Bowman: About - Mountain Home Music Company". Mountainhomemusiccompany.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
4. So Long, So Wrong review by George Graham. "The Graham Weekly Album Review No. 1065" as broadcast on WVIA-FM April 16, 1997. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
5. "When She Was Bad", originally released September 15, 1997. Twentieth Century Fox and Joss Whedon.
6. "Krauss 'Runs Both Ways' On New Album". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
7. "First Listen: Alison Krauss And Union Station, 'Paper Airplane'". Npr.org. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
8. "Alison Krauss: Queen of Bluegrass music". Thenational.ae. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
9. "Archives - Philly.com". Articles.philly.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
10. "Spring, summer dates team Nelson and Family with Krauss and Union Station". Usatoday.com. February 10, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. "Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss Embarking on Co-Headlining Tour". Tasteofcountry.com. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
14. "Alison Krauss Album & Song Chart History - Country Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
15. "Alison Krauss Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
16. "Alison Krauss Album & Song Chart History - Bluegrass Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
17. "Canadian Albums Week of April 30, 2011". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
18. "dutchcharts.nl - Dutch charts portal". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
19. "Chart Log UK: Alex K - Kyuss". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
20. "allmusic ((( Alison Krauss > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". AllMusic. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
21. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - October 12, 2010: So Long, So Wrong certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
22. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - October 12, 2010: New Favorite certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
23. "Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA): Gold & Platinum". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
24. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - October 12, 2010: Live certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
25. "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - October 12, 2010: Lonely Runs Both Ways certified awards". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
26. "British Phonographic Industry search results". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on September 24, 2009. Retrieved October 13, 2010.