Mickey Galyean 

Mickey was born in Lowgap, N.C. on the N.C. and VA border.  Mickey started playing music when he was 13 years old.  His father and well known bluegrass musician Cullen Galyean got him his first electric bass for Christmas.  He first started playing rock and country but Cullen (his father) came across an old Gibson F-4 mandolin, and Mickey started to learn to play bluegrass.  Mickey and Cullen went on to put together a band called “Cullen Galyean and the Bluegrassers”.  This band stayed together for 4 years and put out 2 recordings.  Then Mickey and Cullen decided to put the band on hold because of Cullen’s on going health problems.  That’s when Greg Jones, the mandolin player for the “Bluegrassers”, asked Mickey to help Jay Adams, Timmy Martin, and himself get a band together.  This band was soon to become Rich-in-Tradition.  After forming the band they took 1^st place in 4 out of 5 fiddler conventions that they entered in 2006, including 1^st place bluegrass band at the 2006 Galax Fiddlers Convention.  Mickey plays guitar and sings lead, tenor, and high baritone.  His influences are Carter Stanley, Larry Sparks, Jimmy Haley, John Duffey, and David Parmley.  Mickey still lives in Lowgap with his wife Kim, his son Bailey, and his daughter Bellamy.    

Brad Hiatt 

Brad was born in the hills of Ararat, VA and began playing the banjo at the age of 9.  At 10 years old, he was fortunate enough to play on stage with Grandpa Jones.  Brad went on to learn how to play the electric guitar and acoustic bass.  His influences are Flatt and Scruggs, Doyle Lawson, and Ricky Skaggs.  Brad has played with several bands in the past, like “The Marshall Brothers” and “Spur of the Moment”, where he honed his skills of playing bass and singing lead, tenor, and baritone.  Brad is currently playing bass with “Common Creed” and “Rich-in-Tradition”.  Brad still lives in Ararat with his wife Melissa and their two children.   

Greg Jones 

Greg was born in the heart of the bluegrass and old time haven Mt. Airy, N.C.  Growing up with a family of musicians and singers made it a lot easier to get the pickin’ bug.  At the ripe old age of 15, he found himself with a hankering to learn an instrument.  So, in order to keep up with his brother who had learned the banjo 6 months earlier, he needed to get started.  Influenced by an uncle nicknamed “Smoke”, he picked up the mandolin and started learning everything from Bill Monroe to David Grisman and Ricky Skaggs.  Holding the hand of traditional bluegrass and contemporary new grass along with Grisman’s dawg music, Greg set out to learn all he could keep up with family and friends who could already pick and could do it well.  Playing early on with several groups including, “The Cana River Boys”, “Backyard Bluegrass”, and “Boarderline”, Greg went on to play with more established bands such as “Piedmont Grass”, and the early versions of “The James King Band”.  In 1994, he joined the bluegrass gospel group “Cornerstone”, staying with them until April of 2000, when the band split up to venture into other directions.  Then, in May of 2000, Greg joined “The Bluegrass Tradition Band”.  They had 1 recording, won the 2001 Galax Fiddlers Convention, and played at the 2002 National Folk Festival in Bangor, Maine.  On July 3, 2003, at the Carter Fold in Hilton, Virginia, Greg got to perform with Johnny Cash.  Bluegrass Tradition was scheduled to perform that night and Mr. Cash was to perform that night too.  It turned out, that Mr. Cash needed a baritone singer and Greg was the only one in sight.  This performance happened just 2 months before Johnny’s death.  What an honor it was of Greg to take in that great moment.  In 2004, Greg began to venture out again with some other bands, hooking up with legendary songwriter and banjo player Cullen Galyean and his band “The Bluegrassers”.  Mickey Galyean, Cullen’s son, was also a member of the band.  Their playing was always hot, but the singing was smokin’ hot.  Greg and Mickey took turns with lead and tenor, while Cullen nailed the baritone every time.  They played mostly at local festivals, private parties, and a fiddler’s convention here and there.  Then in 2006 Greg and Mickey got together with Brad Hiatt on bass, Jay Adams on Banjo, and Tim Martin on fiddle, to form “Rich-in-Tradition”.  Shortly after forming the band, they set the fiddler’s conventions ablaze, winning 4 out of 5 conventions (including Galax Fiddlers Convention).  Greg says that his life has been a great ride and is ready for what lies ahead.  Greg still lives in Mt. Airy with his wife Shannon, his son Daniel, and two daughters Katie and Emily.