Frank Wakefield
Frank Wakefield (June 26, 1934–April 26, 2024) was an American bluegrass mandolinist, composer, and vocalist. Born in Emory Gap, Tennessee, he relocated to Dayton, Ohio, as a teenager, where he adopted the mandolin and formed the gospel-focused Wakefield Brothers. In 1952 he partnered with singer Red Allen to form The Kentuckians. He also toured as a core sideman for Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys and the Greenbriar Boys, and he spent years mentoring a young David Grisman. Highly regarded as an avant-garde stylist, he expanded the horizons of bluegrass mandolin through split-string techniques and altered tunings. The popularity of his composition “New Camptown Races” has led to its inclusion in the broader bluegrass canon.