Harry Carpenter "Junior" Sisk Jr. is an American guitarist and vocalist in the bluegrass tradition, best known for his work with his band Rambler's Choice. He cites the hard-driving bluegrass of the Stanley Brothers as a major influence on his approach to bluegrass music.
Biography
Early years
Sisk was born in Arlington but was raised in Ferrum, Virginia. His early interest in music was sparked by his father Harry Sisk Sr., who wrote songs and played guitar, and his mother who sang. When Sisk was 14, his parents gifted him with an upright bass. Sisk began performing in local bands at age 16, first playing bass but eventually switching to guitar. He also played in his family's band Dreamin' Creek with his father and cousins.
Music career
In the early 1990s, Sisk wrote songs made popular by the Lonesome River Band, such as "A Game (I Can't Win)," "My Heart Belongs to You," and "Tears Are Blinding Me." Playing bluegrass every Saturday at Partners II bar in Centreville, Virginia, he met many other bluegrass musicians, such as Del McCoury, the Johnson Mountain Boys, and the Bluegrass Cardinals.
In 1995, Sisk and his cousin songwriter Tim Massey began playing with Wyatt Rice and Santa Cruz, which also included
Elmer Burchett (banjo) and Ricky Riddle (mandolin). They released the album Picture in a Tear in 1996.
