Scott Vestal

Scott Vestal is an American bluegrass banjoist and luthier born on May 8, 1962, in Duncan, Oklahoma. He began playing the banjo at age 13 and performed with Larry Sparks in 1981. Vestal formed the ensemble Southern Connection in 1982 before joining Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver in 1985. He performed with the group for four years and contributed to five studio recordings. Vestal relocated to Nashville in 1994 and formed the band Continental Divide with David Parmley, recording the albums On the Divide (1996) and Feel Good Day (1998). His discography included the solo studio recordings In Pursuit of Happiness (1992) and Millennia (2000). Vestal designed and developed instruments through his company, Stealth Banjos. He received the Banjo Player of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 1996 and the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass in 2017.