Virginia Squires

This contemporary American bluegrass ensemble consisted of Rickie Simpkins on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, his brother Ronnie Simpkins on bass and vocals, Sammy Shelor handling guitar, banjo and vocals, and Mark Newton on guitar and vocals. The Simpkins siblings grew up in a musical household located in the hills southwest of Roanoke, Virginia. After performing together in a family ensemble, they later launched Upland Express, which issued an album on Leather Records during the 1970s. The brothers parted ways in the early 1980s, with Rickie joining the McPeak Brothers and Ronnie becoming a member of the Bluegrass Cardinals. They reconvened in Richmond during 1982 as part of the Heights Of Grass. By early 1983, alongside Mark Newton, formerly of Knoxville Grass, and Sammy Shelor, previously with the Country Boys, the lineup adopted the name Virginia Squires. Their repertoire spanned bluegrass, rock, old-time and country, which helped them gain strong popularity throughout Virginia, where they recorded for the Rebel label.