Marty Raybon

Marty Raybon is a Christian and gospel artist who first gained widespread recognition as the lead singer of the country band Shenandoah. He was born on December 8, 1959, in Greenville, Alabama, and began his musical career at age eight, performing in his father’s bluegrass band, the American Bluegrass Express. In 1984, he co-founded Shenandoah in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, serving as the group’s lead singer from 1985 to 1997 and rejoining the band in 2014.

Raybon became a born-again Christian in 1991, a turning point that began shaping the faith and redemption themes in his music. Alongside his work with Shenandoah, he released solo projects that reflect his Christian convictions, including the gospel-themed album Hand to the Plow. His solo catalog also includes Southern Roots and Branches, The Back Forty, and Just Above the Water, with songs such as “I’ve Seen What He Can Do” appearing in his recordings.

In the 2010s, Raybon returned to his bluegrass roots by forming the band Full Circle. His career has earned recognition from both the mainstream and gospel music communities. In 1996, he received a Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart,” recorded with Shenandoah and Alison Krauss. In 2013, his recording of “Beulah Land” won the International Bluegrass Music Association Award for Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year.