Grammy-nominated Rhonda Vincent brings bluegrass to the Lamp Theatre

Rhonda Vincent learned to play the drums at age 6, the mandolin at 8, and the fiddle all before reaching her teenage years.

She’s been recording bluegrass music since she was 5, with her family on “The Sally Mountain Show.” She is the fifth generation of her Missouri family to play music.

That might account for why she seems to get the best sleep on her tour bus.

“The other night I slept for 10-and-a-half hours,” she said with a laugh. “I never do that at home.”

This month, Vincent — a seven-time “Female Vocalist of the Year” at the International Bluegrass Music Association, 2020 Grand Ole Opry inductee and Grammy Award winner — will be resting up for an April 22 performance at the Lamp Theatre in Irwin.

“We’re excited to be back on the road after 2020,” she said. “In the spring, everything is new, and it’s an exciting time. Plus, we always have fun wherever we go.”

Vincent said the band typically stops at a local restaurant, checks out the sights and does a little shopping.

“We love getting a taste of the local food and seeing what’s unique about an area,” she said. “Each day we’re like, ‘Where are we? Who are we going to meet today?’”

Vincent’s latest record, “Music is What I See,” is not only Grammy-nominated but also includes a cover of the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” pretty far off the beaten path for someone known for bluegrass.

Vincent said she was inspired by her husband, Herb.

“During the pandemic, we’d never spent so much time together consistently in 37 years, because I was out playing,” she said. “We do all these sad songs, but we don’t do any songs really pledging our love. And I was home with him and started thinking of a song I could play for him.”

The tune has become a standard at Vincent’s shows, with it given a little more Appalachian flavor by the band.

“I purposely turned up the banjo in the mix,” Vincent said. “In Gettysburg last year, there were three tiers of people dancing to that song. I love that people love it.”

The push and pull of a live audience also is something Vincent loves.

“I don’t have a setlist,” she said. “If people are applauding for the fiddle tunes, I’m going to call more of them.”

And with dozens of records under her belt, there’s no telling what audience members might ask to hear.

“The other night, people were requesting songs that some of the new guys in the band never ever heard before,” she said. “I told the audience, ‘They’ve never heard it before, but we’re going to give it a try.’”

Vincent said it helps having veterans like fiddler Hunter Berry and bassist Mickey Harris anchoring the group — both have been with Vincent for roughly two decades.

“They go onstage and you know they’re ready to do their jobs,” she said. “And our new guys are so talented, they’ve been able to step right in.”

Rhonda Vincent & the Rage will play the Lamp Theater at 8 p.m., April 22. For more information and tickets ($49), call 724-367-4000 or see LampTheatre.org.