MEET THE KNUCKLE DUSTERS
SCOTT SPEARLY
ROBBIE CARUTHERS
ROBBIE CARUTHERS
Scott Spearly - Guitar, harmonica, and vocals. Scott founded the Knuckle Dusters in 1997 with close friends Tim & Paul. Over the decades the band grew under his leadership to include many other talents. Living in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, the last 25+ years and most at home with hokum and blues, Scott earned his stripes playing for area fiddlers as a driving rhythm guitarist. He has 8 albums of original music to his credit, often collaborating with friends & bandmates. His latest album SATISFY MYSELF was released in Sept. 2023.
ROBBIE CARUTHERS
ROBBIE CARUTHERS
ROBBIE CARUTHERS
Robbie Caruthers - "Ragtime Robbie" is a household name as far as old-time fiddlers go in Western Maryland. A long time resident of Washington County and Boonsboro Maryland, Robbie has made his way around to area stages and festivals all over the panhandle region since the mid 1970's. In addtion to the Knuckle Dusters Robbie has fiddled for the South Mountain String Band and The Speakeasy Boys. He's a craftsman and woodchuck by trade, fashioning rustic stools and benches he sells at area festivals.
RICHARD PRYOR
ROBBIE CARUTHERS
MATTHEW SPEARLY
Richard Pryor - "Captain Rich" can be heard on bootleg recordings with the Knuckle Dusters as early as 2001, but he didn't sign on with the band full time until his retirement from the postal service in 2009. Also a resident of Washington County Maryland, Rich grew up playing music in school and through the folk and rock booms of the 60's and 70's. Mandolin is what he wields most with the Knuckle Dusters, but he is adept on several stringed instruments and has most recently been pulling double duty on tenor banjo.
MATTHEW SPEARLY
MATTHEW SPEARLY
MATTHEW SPEARLY
Matthew Spearly - Upright bass. Matt is now "Dr. Spearly" having earned his doctorate in political science from Ohio State University. He also has a degree from WVU and played in the university orchestra for 3 years. Matt started playing music in the 4th grade on the violin, and switched to the upright bass in the school orchestra in 7th grade. He started gigging with the Knuckle Dusters on bass his freshman year, while also serving as a percussionist in his high school's stage band and marching band. Matt still travels from Ohio when summoned to gig with his dad & surrogate uncles.
PAUL MACKRELL
MATTHEW SPEARLY
PAUL MACKRELL
Paul Mackrell - Clawhammer banjo and guitar. Paul joined Scott and Tim in 1999 to round out a Knuckle Dusters power trio, playing area bars in Maryland and Pennsylvania up through the early and mid 2000's. Prior to that he was a champion clawhammer banjo player, often winning 1st place at The Deer Creek Fiddlers Convention. Paul also played some mean swing and boogie-woogie guitar for the Knuckle Dusters through their heyday as a top DC/Baltimore Americana stage band. In 2019 Paul suffered a debilitaing stroke, but he remains at the heart of the band's music.
MORE KNUCKLE DUSTERS...
JAMES CALHOUN
JAMES CALHOUN
JAMES CALHOUN
James Calhoun - presently resides in Boonsboro, Maryland, and is the latest addition to the Knuckle Dusters rotating line-up. He plays a 50's era 1/2 size Kay upright bass, and has performed with the band at a number of area staged events in recent years... including a concert at Morgan's Chapel in Woodbine MD, for South Mountain Creamery's spring farm festival, and for several private engagments in Maryland and West Virginia. He's a steady hand on the bass and he's most at home with old-time fiddle classics as well as Irish jigs and reels.
EVAN PRICE
JAMES CALHOUN
JAMES CALHOUN
Evan Price - Louisiana son, jazz master, and music teacher while living in Washington county, Maryland, as well as in his home state, gigged extensively across PA, MD, WV, VA, and DC with the Knuckle Dusters from 2003 - 2016. An avid lover of jazz and blues, Evan played some hot swing fiddle, as well as country, and traditional standards with the group. He appeared on Scott's earliest demo of originals from 2004 titled "Driving With My Knee" and on a number of studio tracks for Scott's "Low-Country Radio" album and "Far From the Herd" releases back in 2014.
TIM MITCHELL
JAMES CALHOUN
WAYNE MASTERS
Tim Mitchell - has always had a delicate and precise touch on the guitar, and was reared flatpicking traditional fiddle tunes in the styles of Doc Watson and Norman Blake. Living most of his years in Hagerstown, Maryland, he is one of the original founding members of the Knuckle Dusters, and over their many years of friendship taught Scott everything he knows about true rhythm guitar. Tim traveled the interstates with the Knuckle Dusters through the late 90's and up through the mid 2000's playing every kind of gig and venue known to man.
WAYNE MASTERS
WAYNE MASTERS
WAYNE MASTERS
Wayne Masters - a North Carolina native, he called Clear Spring Maryland his home. When Scott needed some moonshine back in '98 or so, he was introduced to Wayne, sparking a twenty-five year deep friendship. Despite their 30 year age difference they were like peanut butter and jelly on guitar and fiddle. Wayne passed at age 82 in 2022.
GARY PECK
WAYNE MASTERS
MINDY MORRIS
Gary Peck - Hailing from Everett PA, Gary lent his barrel-chested musical talents to the Knuckle Dusters from 2004-2007 for wine festivals, local fundraisers, private parties, and weddings. A long-time camping and fishing partner to Scott, Gary's classic-country inspired vocals often carried across Pennsylvania lakes and rivers for all to hear.
MINDY MORRIS
WAYNE MASTERS
MINDY MORRIS
Mindy Morris - Daughter to Bob & Patricia Morris of Chambersburg PA, Mindy is a classically trained vocalist who gigged with the Knuckle Dusters from 2002-2004, providing harmonies for the band as well as pristine lead vocals covering many of Patsy Cline's songs. She was trained at the Shenandoah Conservatory and grew up playing viola and piano.