Dix Bruce was an American folk and jazz musician and composer who reached professional recognition as a guitarist, mandolinist, and songwriter. He was born in 1952 and grew up in the Midwest where he began playing the guitar at 12 years of age. After completing his education, Bruce relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and became professionally associated with the circle of David Grisman. Between 1978 and 1984, he performed as the editor of the publication Mandolin World News. In 1978, Bruce founded the band Back Up & Push and released the studio recording Tuxedo Blues. Bruce subsequently performed as a recording engineer for the label Arhoolie Records and composed music for the video game series SimCity. His recording career included the solo studio recording My Folk Heart. He performed as a member of the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra on the studio recordings Radio Rhythm (1990) and Ain't That a Grand and Glorious Feeling? (1990). Bruce established a long-term professional partnership with Jim Nunally and released four studio recordings as a duo including The Way Things Are, which featured the bluegrass composition “When I Die”. Between 1972 and 2021, Bruce participated in twelve jazz recording sessions and published over 50 instructional titles for the publisher Mel Bay Publications. Bruce died on February 1, 2023.
