Rex McGee Guitarist from King, NC

Rex McGee is a multi-intrumentalist performer, composer and teacher with primary focus on original and traditional fiddle and banjo music. Born in Winston-Salem, NC and raised on the family farm near Sauratown Mountain, Rex had early formal training on the piano and fiddle before the age of 5. His Grandfather McGee was a renowned fiddler having learned from his father, a left-handed fiddler who in turn learned from his father on a fiddle made out of a gourd. Accompanied by his father on piano, he performed regularly at the Pollirosa Opry as a youth. In November 1982, he took an interest in his Grandfather Easter's 5-string banjo and a lifelong love for music was activated. His youthful banjo influences include Craig Smith, Tony Trischka, and Bela Fleck. After attending numerous festivals and fiddler's conventions he began composing originals as a teen. He was exposed to modern classical composition during a summer session at North Carolina Governor's School in 1987 and this was an important formative experience for the innovative and critically acclaimed 24 Creations for Solo Banjo released in October 2000. While completing pharmacy school, he learned contradance and Irish session repertoire performing with Moose Chowder and Footloose. He performed in Cape Breton at the Celtic Colors Festival in 2001 and in Ireland at the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Ireland in 2002. His fiddle playing was featured on Tony Williamson's grammy nominated Sessions At McBane Mill. He played banjo, fiddle and hatched up some originals for Trip to the Moon, an award-winning World Music release by Footloose in 2005. He toured the US and Canada with Larry Keel, Vassar Clements, Tony Rice and the John Cowan Band before opting for full time pharmacist employment and close proximity to his family. He produced Kripplkrunk, a live studio recording of original tunes featuring his longtime musical friends for release in 2013. He currently performs old-time and bluegrass music with his brother Ralph, celtic rock with Brynmor, country with star Lacy Green, traditional and original folk tunes with contradance group Footloose, and jazz/folk with vocalist Martha Bassett.