Bruce Hornsby
Hornsby in 2019
Background information
Born	Bruce Randall Hornsby (1954-11-23)November 23, 1954 (age 71) Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Soft rock[1] gospel heartland rock jazz bluegrass blues rock
Occupations	Singer musician
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1974–present
Labels	RCA CBS/Sony Sony BMG Vanguard Sire
Spouse	Kathy Yankovich ​ (m. 1983)​ [2]
Website	brucehornsby.com

Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist.^[3] His music draws from a wide range of traditions —folk,jazz,modern classical,bluegrass,rock, andjam band styles.^[4][5]

Hornsby has won threeGrammy Awards: a 1987Grammy Award for Best New Artist withBruce Hornsby and the Range, a 1990Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Recording, and a 1994Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Hornsby has worked with his touring band Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, his bluegrass project withRicky Skaggs, and as a session and guest musician. He was a touring member of theGrateful Dead from September 1990 through March 1992, playing over 100 shows with the band.

Bruce Randall Hornsby was born inWilliamsburg, Virginia, to Robert Stanley Hornsby (1920–1998), an attorney, real-estate developer and former musician, and Lois (née Saunier), a piano player and church community liaison who had a local middle school named after her.^[6] He has two brothers, Robert Saunier "Bobby" Hornsby, a realtor with Hornsby Realty and locally known musician, andJohn Hornsby, a lawyer,^[7] with whom he has collaborated in songwriting.^[8] They are cousins of actorDavid Hornsby.^[9] While raised in the church ofChristian Science, Hornsby went to doctors and dentists as needed. He had apolitically liberal upbringing.^[6]

Hornsby graduated from James Blair High School in Williamsburg in 1973, where he played on the basketball team and was chosen by his senior class as most likely to succeed.^[10]

Hornsby studied music at theUniversity of Richmond for a year, at theBerklee College of Music for two semesters, and then at theUniversity of Miami, where he graduated in 1977.^[11][12]

In 1974, Hornsby's older brother Bobby, who attended theUniversity of Virginia, formed the band "Bobby Hi-Test and the Octane Kids" to play fraternity parties, featuring Bruce onFender Rhodes and vocals.^[13][14] The band, which is listed inSkeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads, performed covers ofthe Allman Brothers Band,the Band, and predominantly theGrateful Dead songs.^[14]

Bobby Hornsby's son, Robert Saunier Hornsby, was a recurring guest-guitarist with Hornsby's band and periodically toured with his uncle and played on his records until his death on January 15, 2009, in a car accident nearCrozet, Virginia at age 28.^[15][16]

Following his graduation from theUniversity of Miami in 1977, Hornsby returned to his hometown of Williamsburg, and played in local clubs and hotel bars. In 1980, he and his younger brother and songwriting partnerJohn Hornsby moved toLos Angeles, where they spent three years writing for20th Century Fox.^[17] Before moving back to his nativeHampton Roads, he also spent time in Los Angeles as asession musician. There, Hornsby became friends with members ofAmbrosia^[18] and later he and Ambrosia bassistJoe Puerta performed as members of the touring band forSheena Easton.^[19] In 1984, Hornsby appeared in the music video for Easton's singles "Strut" and “Sugar Walls".^[20]

Hornsby made a solo demo recording of “Mandolin Rain,” “The Way It Is,” and “The Red Plains” which led to him being signed by RCA in 1985.^[21]

Bruce Hornsby and the Range
Bruce Hornsby and the Range, 1990. L-R: George Marinelli, Bruce Hornsby, John Molo, and Joe Puerta.
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California/Williamsburg, Virginia, United States
Genres	Rock,pop rock,soft rock
Years active	1984–1991
Labels	RCA Records
Past members	Bruce Hornsby David Mansfield George Marinelli Joe Puerta John Molo

In 1984, Hornsby formedBruce Hornsby and the Range, who were signed toRCA Records in 1985. Besides Hornsby, Range members wereDavid Mansfield (guitar,mandolin,violin), George Marinelli (guitars andbacking vocals), formerAmbrosia memberJoe Puerta (bass guitar and backing vocals), andJohn Molo (drums).

"The Way It Is" (1986)

The song's discussion of the troubled economy and race relations resonated with the American public and it remains Hornsby's best known song.

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Hornsby's recording career started with the biggest hit he has had to date, "The Way It Is". It reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100 in December 1986.^[22][23] The song described aspects ofhomelessness, theAmerican civil rights movement andinstitutional racism.^[24] It has since been sampled by at least sixrap artists, includingTupac Shakur,E-40, andMase.^[23]

With the success of the single, the albumThe Way It Is received theRIAA certification of multi-platinum.^[25] It included "Mandolin Rain" (co-written, as many of Hornsby's early songs were, with his brotherJohn), another top-five hit.^[23] "Every Little Kiss" peaked at number 14 on theBillboard Hot 100 in July 1987.^[26][23] Other tracks on the album helped establish what some labeled the "Virginia sound", a mixture ofrock,jazz, andbluegrass.^[27] Bruce Hornsby and the Range won theGrammy Award for Best New Artist in 1987, defeatingGlass Tiger,Nu Shooz,Simply Red, andTimbuk3.

Hornsby and the Range's sound was distinctive for its use ofsyncopation in Hornsby's piano solos, a bright piano sound and an extensive use ofsynthesizers as background for Hornsby's solos, and on all the hits, a Linn drum machine and Oberheim OB-X for bass. They are typical double-time beats, which allowed Hornsby and the rest of the band to do more with their solos.^[28][29]

Hornsby and the Range's second album,Scenes from the Southside (on which Peter Harris replaced Mansfield), was released in 1988.^[30] It included "Look Out Any Window" and "The Valley Road" which many critics noted for their "more spacious" musical arrangements, allowing for "more expressive" piano solos from Hornsby.^[31][32] It also included "Jacob's Ladder", which the Hornsby brothers wrote for musician friendHuey Lewis; Lewis's version became a number one hit from his albumFore!.^[33][34]Scenes offered further slices of "Americana" and "small-town nostalgia",^[32] but it was the band's last album to perform well in the singles market.^[31]

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hornsby worked extensively as a producer and sideman, producing a comeback albumAnything Can Happen forLeon Russell.^[17] In 1987, Hornsby collaborated with Irish groupClannad, playing and lending vocals to their single "Something to Believe In". Hornsby also appears on the official music video release for the track. In 1989, Hornsby co-wrote and played piano onDon Henley's hit "The End of the Innocence". In 1991, he played piano onBonnie Raitt's hit "I Can't Make You Love Me". He also appeared on albums byBob Dylan,Robbie Robertson,Crosby Stills and Nash,Stevie Nicks andSqueeze.^[31]

Hornsby slowly began to introduce jazz and bluegrass elements into his music, first in live performance settings and later on studio work.^[23] In 1989, he first performed at theTelluride Bluegrass Festival. He also reworked his hit "The Valley Road" with theNitty Gritty Dirt Band for their albumWill the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two. In February 1990, the song won Best Bluegrass Recording at the32nd Annual Grammy Awards.

In May 1990, Hornsby releasedA Night on the Town, on which he teamed up with jazz musiciansWayne Shorter (tenor saxophone) andCharlie Haden (double bass) as well as bluegrass pioneerBela Fleck (banjo). A change in style became apparent as the album was much more rock and guitar driven, making use ofJerry Garcia's guitar work on several tracks, including prominently on the single "Across the River".^[35] In concert, Hornsby and the Range began to stretch out their songs, incorporating more and more "freewheeling musical exchanges".^[23] Critics praised the album for its production, its political relevance, and Hornsby's gestures toward expanding out of a strictly pop sound by incorporating jazz and bluegrass.^[35] Ultimately, though, the core "rock band" sound of the Range limited Hornsby's aspirations, and after a final three-week tour in 1991, Hornsby disbanded the Range to enter a new phase of his career.^[23] DrummerJohn Molo continued to perform regularly with Hornsby for another few years, although other members pursued separate musical endeavors. Following Hornsby's and Molo's involvement with the Other Ones, Molo left Hornsby to become the primary drummer with bass guitaristPhil Lesh and Friends.^[36]

In 1988, Hornsby first appeared on stage with theGrateful Dead, a recurring collaboration that continued until the band's dissolution.^[37] Hornsby was frequently a guest before becoming a regular fixture in the touring lineup for the Grateful Dead a few years later.

From 1988 untilJerry Garcia's death in 1995, Hornsby played more than 100 shows with the Grateful Dead.^[38] At some shows in 1988 and 1989, he joined the band as a special guest and playedaccordion or synthesizer. Following the death of Grateful Dead keyboardistBrent Mydland in July 1990, Hornsby playedpiano (and frequently accordion) at many gigs. Mydland's place was filled in September 1990 byVince Welnick, who became the sole keyboardist by March 1992, although Hornsby still sat in with the band on occasion.

Hornsby's own music evolved significantly during this time period. Critics have suggested that the Dead's vibrant tradition of meldingfolk music and theblues withpsychedelic rock in "loose-knit expressions" and extended jamming "further pushed [Hornsby] outside the confines of mainstream pop".^[23] Critics have also commented upon the close musical connection formed between Hornsby and Jerry Garcia, suggesting that Hornsby's particular style of jazz-fueled improvisation added to the band's repertoire and helped to revitalize and refocus Garcia's guitar solos in the band's sound.^[37] Hornsby's friendship with Garcia continued, both inside and outside the band, as the two "challenged" each other to expand their musicianship through several other album and live collaborations.^[39] Above all, Hornsby's musical versatility and ability to slip in and out of extended freeform jams won over longtime Grateful Dead fans.^[40][41]

Since his first involvement with the Grateful Dead, Hornsby's live shows have drawnDeadheads and Hornsby has commented: "I've always liked the group of fans that we've drawn from the Grateful Dead time, because those fans are often adventurous music listeners".^[42] He has performed several of their songs at his concerts and as homages on studio and live albums, while Hornsby originals "The Valley Road" and "Stander on the Mountain" appeared several times in the Dead's setlists. Hornsby also co-performed the improvisation "Silver Apples of the Moon" for the Grateful Dead'sInfrared Roses (1991).

Hornsby was the presenter when the Grateful Dead were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994^[43][44] and in 2005 he participated in "Comes a Time", a tribute concert to Jerry Garcia. He continues to work with Dead-related projects, such asBob Weir'sRatdog,Mickey Hart's solo projects. He performed as part ofthe Other Ones in 1998 and 2000, and on occasion sat in withthe Dead. Hornsby continues to be involved in the Grateful Dead and Furthur community. He played at theAll Good Music Festival in 2012 with Bob Weir on rhythm guitar.^[45] In mid-2013, Hornsby performed with Grateful Dead-influenced bluegrass groupRailroad Earth. Hornsby reunited with surviving members of the Grateful Dead along withTrey Anastasio fromPhish and Jeff Chimenti atLevi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and later atSoldier Field inChicago, Illinois, in July 2015.^[46]

Hornsby released his first solo album,Harbor Lights, in 1993. The record showcased him in a more jazz-oriented setting and featured a lineup that includedPat Metheny,Branford Marsalis,Jerry Garcia,Phil Collins andBonnie Raitt. Hornsby secured his third Grammy in 1993 for Best Pop Instrumental for "Barcelona Mona" (composed withBranford Marsalis for theBarcelona Olympics).

In 1995,Hot House was released, its cover art featuring an imagined jam session betweenbluegrass musicianBill Monroe andjazz saxophonistCharlie Parker. Hornsby expanded into the jazz sound fromHarbor Lights, this time reintroducing elements of bluegrass fromA Night on the Town and his earlier collaborations.^[47] "Walk in the Sun" reached number 54 on theBillboard Hot 100.^[48]

During this time period, "even his concerts conveyed a looser, more playful mood, and Hornsby began taking requests from the audience".^[23] Hornsby's concerts became "departure points" for his album compositions, which would be blended with and reworked into "lengthy spontaneous medleys".^[23] Both in terms of audience requests and in terms of spontaneous on-stage decisions, Hornsby's performances became opportunities for him to challenge himself by trying to "find a way to seamlessly thread these seemingly disparate elements together".^[23]

Hornsby next worked with several Grateful Dead reformation projects, including several Furthur Festivals and the Other Ones, which resulted in the release of a live album,The Strange Remain. As part of the Other Ones, Hornsby performed Grateful Dead tunes "Jack Straw" and "Sugaree" (which features Hornsby on lead vocal, in Jerry Garcia's absence), as well as Hornsby-originals "White-Wheeled Limousine" and "Rainbow's Cadillac".^[50]

In 1998, three years afterHot House, Hornsby released a double album,Spirit Trail. Featuring a picture of his uncle on the cover,^[51] the collection blended instrumental tracks with the story-telling,rock, jazz, and other musical forms Hornsby had delved into over his career. The album considered "very Southern" themes with "songs about race, religion, judgment and tolerance" and "struggles with these issues".^[52] An example is "Sneaking Up on Boo Radley", which references the character fromHarper Lee'sPulitzer Prize-winning novelTo Kill a Mockingbird.

Throughout the sequence ofHarbor Lights,Hot House, andSpirit Trail, Hornsby's piano playing steadily gained further complexity, taking on a more varied array of musical styles and incorporating more difficult techniques, as evidenced by his two-hand-independence onSpirit Trail's "King of the Hill". During this same span of solo album years, Hornsby made several mini-tours playing solo piano gigs for the first time in his career.^[33] The shows allowed Hornsby additional possibilities for segueing songs into other songs, often blurring lines between classical compositions, jazz standards, traditional bluegrass,folk, andfiddle tunes, Grateful Dead songs, as well as reworkings of Hornsby originals.^[37] Hornsby reflected on these periods of intensive solo performances, stating that the solo tours helped him "recommit [himself] to the study of piano" and "take [his] playing to a whole new level", explorations and improvisations that would not be possible in a band setting.^[53]

In August 2014, Hornsby released his first entirely live solo album,Solo Concerts.

In April 2019, Hornsby's 21st album,Absolute Zero, was released. It features collaborations withJustin Vernon and Sean Carey ofBon Iver,Jack DeJohnette,Blake Mills,yMusic,the Staves, and Brad Cook.

Hornsby's touring band lineup underwent extensive changes between 1998 and 2000, with longtime drummerJohn Molo joining formerGrateful Dead bassistPhil Lesh in his bandPhil Lesh & Friends.^[37] A set of twenty consecutive shows performed by Hornsby and his band atYoshi's Jazz Club inOakland, California included a lot of spontaneity and taking requests from the audience, a form that he continues at live shows to this day.^[54] As Hornsby experimented with a different sound, ushering in frequent collaborations with such musicians asSteve Kimock on guitar and Bobby Read on heavily effects-driven electronic woodwinds, a new band, dubbed the Noisemakers, took shape. In 2000, Hornsby chronicled this journey with a compilation live album entitledHere Come the Noise Makers, and did extensive touring with his new band featuring John "J.T." Thomas (keyboards,organ), Bobby Read (saxophones,woodwinds,flute), J.V. Collier (bass), Doug Derryberry (guitar,mandolin), and several different drummers beforeSonny Emory took over full-time.

In 2002, Hornsby releasedBig Swing Face. The album was Hornsby's most experimental effort to date. It was the only album on which Hornsby barely plays any piano and relied heavily on post-electronica beats, drum loops, Pro Tools editing, and dense synthesizer arrangements.^[55][56]Big Swing Face received mixed reviews, ranging from "a new and improved Bruce Hornsby"^[57] to being called one of the "strangest records of 2002".^[55]

In 2004, after 19 successful years on RCA Records, Hornsby signed withColumbia Records and returned to a more acoustic, piano-driven sound on his Columbia Records debut album,Halcyon Days, released in June 2004. Guests includedSting,Elton John andEric Clapton.^[58]

Throughout tours following the album's release, both with the Noisemakers and in solo performances, Hornsby continued to demonstrate his desire to "grow" as a singer and performer and to expand the instrumental possibilities of the piano in various genres.^[27]

In July 2006, Hornsby released a four-CD/DVD box set titledIntersections (1985–2005). The discs are thematically broken into three categories: "Top 90 Time", "Solo Piano, Tribute Records, Country-Bluegrass, Movie Scores", and "By Request (Favorites and Best Songs)".^[59] A full third of the music is previously unreleased; many familiar tracks are presented as unreleased live versions rather than the original studio recordings, and the majority of the remaining tracks are from singleB-sides, collaborations or tribute albums, and movie soundtracks.^[60] One song, "Song H", a new composition, was nominated for Best Pop Instrumental in 2007 at the49th Annual Grammy Awards.^[61]

In 2007, Hornsby began more regularly playing classical music: at a concert inSt. Louis, Missouri, during Hornsby's improvisational session in "The Way It Is", he began playingJ.S. Bach'sGoldberg Variations along with the drums. In a different city, he played five straightGoldberg Variations over the drum intro of "Gonna Be Some Changes Made".^[6]

On September 15, 2009, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers released their fourth album,Levitate; it included new solo material with several songs co-written with Chip DiMatteo for the Broadway playSCKBSTD.

In May 2011, the band released a live album,Bride of the Noisemakers.

On June 17, 2016, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers released their sixth album and fourth studio album,Rehab Reunion. Hornsby only plays thedulcimer on the album and does not play piano. The album was also Hornsby's first release on 429 Records. Like on many of his previous releases,Rehab Reunion features collaborations with guest artists.Justin Vernon ofBon Iver sings background vocals on "Over the Rise".Mavis Staples duets with Hornsby on "Celestial Railroad". Also noteworthy is a folk version of "The Valley Road", originally a hit in 1988 with Hornsby's first backing band, the Range.^[62]

In March 2007, Hornsby teamed with bluegrass playerRicky Skaggs to produce a bluegrass album,Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, followed by a tour. In 2000, the pair had collaborated on "Darlin' Cory", a track on theBig MonBill Monroebluegrass music.^[63]Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, featuring the duo backed by Skaggs's band Kentucky Thunder, combined bluegrass, traditionalcountry music, jazzy piano and a splash of humor on a spectrum of songs from the traditional to new compositions such as the opening track, "The Dreaded Spoon", a humorous tale of a youthful ice cream heist. The pair also reinvented Hornsby's hit "Mandolin Rain" as aminor key acoustic ballad and give his cautionary tale of backwoods violence, "A Night on the Town", a treatment highlighting the "Appalachian storytelling tradition that was always at the song's heart".^[64][65]

The album ended with a cover ofRick James'sfunk hit "Super Freak" in a bluegrass arrangement. The album peaked at number one on theBillboard Bluegrass Albums list; it was on the charts for 52 weeks.^[66] With the album, Hornsby disproved the notion that the piano is not compatible with "string-oriented" bluegrass. The duo released the live albumCluck Ol' Hen in September 2013.^[67]

Concurrently with the bluegrass project, Hornsby recorded ajazz album,Camp Meeting withChristian McBride (bass) andJack DeJohnette (drums).^[68] Alongside original compositions by Hornsby, the trio delivered newly reharmonized versions of tunes byJohn Coltrane,Miles Davis,Thelonious Monk andBud Powell, a previously unrecordedOrnette Coleman work ("Questions and Answers") and an earlyKeith Jarrett composition ("Death and the Flower").^[69] The trio made a series of appearances in the summer of 2007, including thePlayboy Jazz Festival, theNewport Jazz Festival and at theHollywood Bowl.^[70]

On January 4, 2007, former Grateful Dead membersBob Weir,Bill Kreutzmann andMickey Hart reunited along with Hornsby,Mike Gordon (ofPhish and theRhythm Devils) andWarren Haynes to play two sets, including Dead classics, at a post-inauguration fundraising party forSpeaker of the United States House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi.^[71][72]

Hornsby wrote songs forSCKBSTD, aBroadway Musical; one song from this project, a playful biographical tune about real-estate tycoonDonald Trump titled "The Don of Dons", was played often at Hornsby's solo piano performances in early 2007. In 2009, he composed the score forSpike Lee'sESPN documentary,Kobe Doin' Work, aboutNBA starKobe Bryant and his MVP season.^[11] He played himself in a cameo role in theRobin Williams filmWorld's Greatest Dad, in which Williams' character is a Bruce Hornsby fan.

Hornsby invested in Williamsburg area radio station "The Tide"WTYD 92.3FM. He has endowed the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program at theFrost School of Music ofUniversity of Miami.^[73]

In 2019, Hornsby began a trilogy of albums developed from film cues he composed for director Spike Lee, comprisingAbsolute Zero (2019),Non-Secure Connection (2020), and 'Flicted (2022).^[74][75]

Absolute Zero features contributions from yMusic, Justin Vernon, Blake Mills, and Jack DeJohnette and marked a stylistic turn noted by critics.^[76][77] The track “Voyager One” was named amongThe New York Times best songs of 2019.^[78]

Non-Secure Connection followed in 2020 and again drew positive notices. The single “My Resolve,” a duet with James Mercer, was included inThe New York Times list of the best songs of 2020.^[79][80]

Released in May 2022, 'Flicted completed the trilogy and includes collaborations with Ezra Koenig and Danielle Haim; contemporaneous coverage reiterated the trilogy’s basis in Hornsby’s film-cue writing for Lee.^[81][82]

In March 2024, Hornsby and yMusic released ''Deep Sea Vents'' under the name BrhyM: a ten-song project developed largely during the pandemic with contributions from Branford Marsalis and Chad Wright.^[83] The record opened at No. 1 on ''Billboard'''s Classical Crossover Albums chart.^[84] Coverage spanned the UK and U.S., with a full ''New Statesman'' review and mention on a ''New York Times'' playlist.^[85][86]

On July 10, 1990, Hornsby made a guest appearance with the Grateful Dead onstage atCarter-Finley Stadium inRaleigh, NC, playing accordion during portions of the first and second sets. Grateful Dead keyboardist Brent Mydland died just over two weeks later, and Hornsby was summoned as a temporary replacement. The Grateful Dead released this concert on YouTube in its entirety on July 10, 2020, the 30th anniversary of the performance.^[87]

On October 18, 1991, Hornsby joinedPink Floyd co-founderRoger Waters on stage at Auditorio de la Cartuja inSeville, Spain, playing keyboards and singing the choruses ofComfortably Numb.^[88]

On September 6, 1995 atOriole Park at Camden Yards inBaltimore, Hornsby andBranford Marsalis performed the national anthem beforeCal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breakingLou Gehrig's all-timeMajor League Baseball record.^[89]

In 2014, Hornsby toured selected dates with Pat Metheny Unity Group.^{[citation needed]}

In 2016, Hornsby performed on a track, "Black Muddy River", along with indie folk band (andJustin Vernon's former band)DeYarmond Edison onDay of the Dead, a Grateful Deadcover album, benefiting theRed Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness forHIV andAIDS. Hornsby performed the song alongside Vernon that same year inEau Claire, Wisconsin. Hornsby performed alongside Vernon at Coachella in 2017, performing he Henley-Hornsby song “The End Of The Innocence”, the performance also featuredJenny Lewis.^[90][91] In 2019, Hornsby co-wrote “U (Man Like)” for Bon Iver’s album *i,i* and also contributed piano and vocals to the track.^[92]

At Bonnaroo’s Virtual ROO-ALITY (24-26 September 2020),^[93] Hornsby presented a collaborative set withPolo G, whose 2020 song “Wishing for a Hero”(from The Goat) was inspired by Tupac Shakur’s “Changes” and interpolates elements of Hornsby’s “The Way It Is.”^[3][94]

Hornsby has composed and performed for many projects with filmmakerSpike Lee, including end-title songs for two films,Clockers (1995) withChaka Khan andBamboozled (2001). He contributed music forIf God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010),Old Boy (2013) andChi-Raq (2015), and full film scores for Lee'sKobe Bryant documentary for ESPN:Kobe Doin' Work (2009),Red Hook Summer (2012),Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2015), and Lee's film for the NBA 2K16 video game (2015). He scored Lee's Netflix productionShe's Gotta Have It (2017, 2019). Hornsby wrote and performed new music for Lee's filmBlacKkKlansman (2018). in 1993, Lee directed the video for Hornsby's song "Talk Of The Town".

On July 3, 2023, Hornsby appeared with the Doobie Brothers in Portsmouth, Virginia during their extended 50th anniversary tour, where he performed on keyboards and soloed on several songs.^{[citation needed]}

On December 9, 2023, Hornsby appeared withGoose in Hampton, Virginia during their Goosemas run, where he performed "The Way It Is" on keyboards.^{[citation needed]}

Hornsby uses aSteinway & Sonsconcert grand piano. With the Range and up until 1995, he used aBaldwin concert grand piano. He currently uses aKorg M1 synthesizer. With the Range, Hornsby used anOberheim OB-X synthesizer.

Hornsby selected ten Model B Steinway Grands to be featured in its Limited Edition Signature Piano Series, each one personalized with his signature. Hornsby owns three 9 ft (2.7 m) Model D Steinway Grands.

For his 2016 albumRehab Reunion, he playedAppalachian dulcimer made by BlueLion.^[95]

Hornsby and his wife Kathy have twin sons, born in 1992: Russell, who ran for theOregon Ducks track and field team at theUniversity of Oregon, andKeith, who played Division Ibasketball for theUniversity of North Carolina AshevilleBulldogs from2011 to2013, transferred toLouisiana State University and played for LSU from2014 to2016.^[96] They were named after musiciansLeon Russell andKeith Jarrett, respectively.^[97][98]

Hornsby is a regularbasketball player and an avid fan of the sport.^[31] He can frequently be seen atcollege basketball games throughout Virginia. Hornsby stated that he beatAllen Iverson in one-on-one basketball three games in a row after helping him get out of jail.^[99]

• Official website
• Bruuuce.com—Bruce Hornsby fan website
  • Bruce Hornsby setlist database
• List of shows played with the Grateful Dead
• Bruce Hornsby atIMDb
• Interview with Bruce Hornsby, TheWaster.com

• Bruce Hornsby
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