Rhonda Vincent was born in Kirksville, Missouri, on July 13, 1962, and raised in nearby Greentop, Missouri. Part of a long line of family musicians; music is traced back 5 generations in the Vincent family; and evidenced in a 1953 recording of the Vincent’s which included Rhonda’s great-grandpa Fred Vincent playing the fiddle, and her dad, Johnny Vincent singing when he was 13 years old. This tradition continued, as Rhonda’s dad would pick her up from school each day, and they would sing and play till dinner. After dinner, friends came over, and they would sing and play till bedtime. Her musical journey began at age five when she joined the family, as they performed as “The Sally Mountain Show.” They had a TV show, radio show, and made their first recording. Singing seems to have come naturally to Rhonda. According to her parents, she started singing harmony with them to the “Happy Birthday” song on the way to a birthday party when she was 3 years old.
Her first instrument was a snare drum given to her by her father on her sixth birthday. But after that, Rhonda progressed fast, starting mandolin at age eight, and added the fiddle to her skill set at age 12. In 1970, at the age of eight, she recorded her first single, a rendition of “Mule Skinner Blues.”
The Vincent family band toured the Midwest during the 1970s and early 1980s, allowing Rhonda to hone her musical skills on multiple instruments and voice. She competed in many fiddle contests, and her fiddling skills earned her the 1973 Missouri State Fiddle Champion title.
The family band was playing in the pouring rain to empty seats at Silver Dollar City one day, thinking that no one was listening, but later discovered that someone there was impressed by what they had heard. One week after that day, Hal Durham, general manager of the Grand Ole Opry at the time called to say he loved what he had heard, and invited the Vincent family to appear on the Opry.
In 1985, Rhonda was a contestant on the reality singing competition “You Can Be A Star,” hosted by Jim Ed Brown. In 1993 after meeting country producer James Stroud, she signed a record deal with Giant Records. Vincent continued to perform with “The Sally Mountain Show” while pursuing her own solo career in country music. After finding little success in country music, Vincent returned to her bluegrass roots with the 2000 release of the album “Back Home Again.” This album quickly earned her recognition as the All-American Bluegrass Girl, with “The Wall Street Journal” dubbing her “the New Queen of Bluegrass.” Vincent has received numerous awards, including the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Female Vocalist of the Year award for seven consecutive years from 2000 to 2006 and the IBMA Entertainer of the Year in 2001. In 2010, Vincent started her own label, Upper Management Music, under which she released the chart-topping album “Taken” featuring collaborations with artists like Dolly Parton.
Rhonda’s successes continued to grow into the 2010s when she recorded duet albums with artists such as country legend Gene Watson and fellow singer Richard Lynch. She even released a duet single with Dolly Parton as part of the Elton John/Bernie Taupin Tribute Project “Restoration” in 2018. Rhonda earned a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2017.
But her most significant milestone to date was being invited by Jeannie Seely to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry on February 28, 2020. This is by far one of the greatest honors in the world of country and bluegrass music. Due to COVID delays Rhonda waited an unprecedented 345 days to officially be inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on February 6, 2021.
Rhonda credits her father, Johnny Vincent, and Grandpa, Bill Vincent, as direct influences. Other major influences include listening to the Osborne Brothers, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith, and The Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast every Friday and Saturday night. Rhonda asked that we induct Lyman Enloe and Mike Hartgrove with her tonight as both of these talented musicians impacted her early understanding of bluegrass music. Now, Rhonda is becoming a hero to many talented younger musicians.
Rhonda is touring constantly, performing an average of 160 dates per year, including a Silver Dollar City Christmas show residency in Branson, Missouri from November 28, 2025 through January 4, 2026.