About

  The husband wife duo of Shayne and Alane Watkins started playing in the bars before they were old enough to BE there.  Shayne started playing lead guitar in the family band at age 12, Alane with a rock band at age 17 in Oregon.  They joke about being told to go outside or stay on the bandstand during break.  After 40+ years, and retiring from their day jobs, Shayne and Alane are easing into retirement. Shayne's sculpting is taking off and they have a lot of traveling to do.   They'll be taking limited bookings of 2 hours or less per night after December 2023. 

  Shayne says he was at least 13 years old before he learned there was another radio station besides KRLC Country in Lewiston, Idaho. Alane jokes that recovering her hearing on Wednesday after a Saturday night in a rock band led her to bluegrass and folk music.  At 19, she discovered bluegrass at the 62 Days Hall in Canyon City, Oregon and performed all over the NW with El Coochise's Country Express.  Shayne played with the Mountain Men and Julie, his family band all over the Inland Northwest.

 Between them they cite Merle Haggard, Marty Robbins, Patty Loveless, George Jones, John Denver, Bill Monroe, Pure Prairie League, Tanya Tucker, George Strait, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Webb Pierce, Johnny Horton and Gordon Lightfoot as some of their musical influences.  The list goes on....... 

 Over the years, a number of bands have attempted to use the name Beargrass.   Since 2000, they've been joined by a variety of musicians but Shayne and Alane are the heart of the original BEARGRASS band.

 Both Shayne and Alane have written numerous songs for their four CD projects, finding influence in the people and places they know and love.  Passionately patriotic, with sons who have served in the military, they never fail to give a nod to the heroes who've kept this country free.