Jacob Eller: Upright Bass
A native Virginian, Jacob was born in Marion, Virginia and grew up in the neighboring town of Chilhowie. He learned to play bass at age of 15 on an instrument given to him by his father Randal Eller, who played fiddle and sang in the band Cleghorn. This was a local band that played mainly for the fun of it, but these musicians were Jacob’s mentors, teaching him how to work in a band. Jacob began playing professionally in 2003, when he relocated to Berea, KY to play with his good friend Ryan Blevins’ band, Canebreak. That same year he started performing with the bluegrass band No Speed Limit before joining Sierra Hull & Highway 111 in 2009.

Jacob has been an active participant in The Crooked Road Tour, which is part of Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, which promotes the musical heritage of southwest Virginia. Jacob participated in two of The Crooked Road Tours; one on the west coast in 2008 and a second on the east coast in 2010.

Fun fact: Jacob performed as part of a welcoming ceremony for the Queen of England in 2007 when she visited Virginia, in celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown Settlement.

Why Jacob likes playing in Sierra Hull & Highway 111: “I like being in a band that inspires and pushes me musically.”

What Sierra says about Jacob: “As a mandolin player, it doesn’t get any more fun for me than playing with a great bass player. I’m so fortunate to get to play in a band with one of my favorites! Jacob’s a great member to travel with and is a real team player. When we’re on the road, he can be found scoping out the nearest Starbucks or being a tourist (walking around in his super cool Ray- Ban’s) in whatever city we find ourselves in. He’s our official sound guru and gets to haul all the mics and gear around.”

Zach Gilmer:                              Banjo, guitar, vocals

Born and raised in Ivy, Virginia, Zach Gilmer started playing the banjo at age 10.  In 2006, when he was 14 years old, Zach came in third in the Virginia Folk Music Association’s (VFMA) Junior Entertainer category. The following year, Zach was awarded second place in the Adult State Banjo category, and that same year at age 15, he became the Adult State Banjo Champion. Zach has won first place honors in a number of regional competitions, as well as the Virginia state banjo championship.

Zach was home schooled and started playing banjo as a professional musician at age 16.  He has performed with several bands in central Virginia including Gold Heart. He later played banjo with Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain, followed by a stint with Wilson Fairchild before joining Sierra Hull &  Highway 111. Zach has traveled and entertained both nationally and internationally.

Christian Ward: Fiddle
Recently relocating to Nashville, from Apple Valley, California, 18 year-old Christian Ward has become recognized as one of the hot, young fiddle players for a new generation of bluegrass. Christian, along with his brother Austin, played at the 2005 CMA Fan Fest with Ricky Skaggs and Earl Scruggs. He is also in high demand as a session player and displays an amazing virtuosity on his instrument. Christian’s musical taste and maturity in his playing go well beyond his years. He released his first album in 2006 with his step-father Eric Uglum and his brother Austin Ward titled “The Old Road to Jerusalem,” in which Christian contributed a self-penned fiddle tune, Stonewall.

Christian began playing the fiddle at the age of nine. He took Suzuki violin lessons while in school and private fiddle lessons from Frank Javorsek.  He learned mostly through listening to recordings and observing great fiddle players. Christian’s step-father Eric was, and continues to be, a big influence on Christian’s musical outlook.  Eric taught Christian the importance of focusing on the fundamentals (tone, pitch, timing, taste) and exposing him to a wide variety of great music. He taught Christian not to discriminate based on genre but on the depth of the music itself.

Christian has taught fiddle workshops in the US, Canada and the Sultanate of Oman and he has traveled to Japan and Europe as a professional musician.

Fun facts: Christian joined his first band at the age of twelve, which was a local band called The Brothers Barton & Overdrive. He next played with another California-based band, Chris Stuart and Backcountry, which gave him a wealth of experience touring nationally and internationally.

What Christian says about playing with Sierra Hull & Highway 111: “I enjoy performing with Sierra Hull & Highway 111 because the other members’ level of musicianship pushes me to grow and never become complacent. On a more personal level, I am incredibly blessed to be able to travel and share experiences with such great people.”

What Sierra says about Christian: “Christian is such an amazing musician and far beyond his years in wit and personality! It’s inspiring to be in a band with someone my age that is always striving to get better and better. When on the road he can be found reading books on his fancy new Kindle, sleeping, or listening to his iPod. We’ve voted him our official YouTube blogger for our on-the-road videos, and you can thankfully always count on him to have his Peterson tuner.”