Nick Anderson
2021 RIBA Hall of Fame inductee
Nick Anderson went to see the Johnston Mountain Boys in the early 1980s and fell in love with the bluegrass sound. It was not long before Nick and a friend decided to start a band, which they called Bay Mountain. Nick took up the guitar in order to start the band. He soon left that band and took time to hone his musical skill and ultimately formed another band called Shady Creek in 1985.
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The original Shady Creek band included Steve Forcier, Jim Plecan and Suzie Gibson. Thirty six years later, over 50 New England musicians have added their flavor of bluegrass and gospel to the Shady Creek Band. They’ve played many festivals and venues along the East Coast and in Canada. The highlight of Nick’s music career was meeting Bill Monroe in the 1980s and having a lengthy conversation with him about prize bulls.
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Today, the Killingly Grange is still running bluegrass shows and Nick opens his farm to local musicians in the summer for a weekend gathering that includes a show, potluck meal and picking.