Band Members
Gayle Noble - bass fiddle, vocals
Gayle has been a member of Willow Branch since February 1984. She has twice been named 'Best Female Vocalist' by the Virginia Folk Music Association and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry's Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Gayle also performs with 'The Griffin Girls', a gospel group which features Gayle and her sisters.
Robert Noble - banjo, vocals
Robert started Willow Branch in October 1983. Before Willow Branch, Robert played banjo with the 'Valley Grass' Bluegrass Band of Palm Valley, Florida from 1981-1983. He won the Georgia state bluegrass banjo championship at Hahira, Georgia in May 1982 and has performed on stage at the Grand Ole Opry's Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Doug McDonald - mandolin, vocals
Doug is a North Carolina native and has been a member of Willow Branch since 2004. He has also been a member of 'The McDonald Brothers' and 'Steel Creek' bluegrass bands, both based in North Carolina. Doug is a prolific songwriter with many compositions to his credit, many of which can be heard at most Willow Branch performances.
Ted Lawhorn - fiddle, dobro, vocals
A Virginia Shenandoah Valley native, Ted has been an occasional member of Willow Branch since 1996. A master fiddler, Ted performed with the critically acclaimed bluegrass band, '100 Proof' during the 1980's. He has won numerous awards at various state and national fiddle competitions and enjoys performing other styles of music.