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Lare Williams has strong family roots in the bluegrass tradition. His grandfather, Larry Williams, is considered “West Michigan’s father of bluegrass fiddle,” and Lare, himself, made his first appearance on stage at age two with the Williams Family Bluegrass Band. By the age of fourteen Lare was performing with the band full-time at venues throughout the Midwest. Today, only in his early twenties but with years of experience, Lare leads his own bluegrass group, “Lare Williams and New Direction,” that regularly plays at folk and bluegrass festivals, parks, and community centers throughout western Michigan. The band adheres mainly to traditional bluegrass standards played in a mid-1940s style with its characteristic fast tempos, close harmonies, and intricate instrumental arrangements. Lare and New Direction also play some of Lare’s original material that has already been aired on over 400 radio stations worldwide.

For Lare, bluegrass remains a family affair; his recent album, “Grandpa John,” features Lare on guitar, bass, and vocals; his mother Patty Williams on vocals and mandolin; and his sister Baley Williams on fiddle. New Direction includes flat-picking guitarist Ron McKeever of Charlotte, Steve Boling of Kalamazoo on banjo, and Peter Knupfer (a winner of state fiddle championships in Wisconsin and Kansas) of East Lansing on fiddle.

http://www.larewilliams.com/lares_new_page_001.htm