Onie Baxter
Onie gew up in West Georgia and learned mandolin and guitar as a child. When she married J.N. Baxter in 1954, she not only found a partner in life but a partner in music as well.
J.N. was a natural singer and soon after getting married, Onie started teaching J.N. to play the guitar. In the early days of their marriage and also during J.N.’s military service, the couple managed to meet many friends with whom to share their love of music. While they were both exposed to many different kinds of music, they were especially drawn to the acoustic sounds.
In 1961, J.N. and Onie joined with Hughie Wylie on mandolin, Howard McGuire on bass, and Joe Will McGuire on banjo to form a five piece band. This configutarion officially became The Bluegrass Five about two years later. Soon The Bluegrass Five and other band members began to attend regional music events such as the Asheville Folk Festival and Nashville’s DJ Convention.
All through the 1960’s, ‘70’s and ’80’s, The Bluegrass Five performed at many local venues and also at many major festivals throughout the Southeast (including Union Grove, Lavonia bluegrass festival, and the Hiawassee Mountain Fair). The band was well known for its great harmony singing along with great musicianship. And along the way they shared the stage and formed friendships with many professional bands and musicians.
J.N. and Onie have always been known for their ongoing support and encouragement of many young musicians. And they have always been willing to generously share their heartfelt music at church and funerals/memorials whenever requested.
J.N. and Onie were inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Honor in 1998 and the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, they were featured in an article in Bluegrass Unlimited (along with Murray Freeman) which paid tribute to several Southeastern musicians who have inspired, encouraged, and entertained bluegrass musicians and fans for the last 40 years. J.N. and Onie are also archive subjects of the North Georgia Bluegrass Chronicles, a research project by Bill Brown.
J.N. and Onie have two daughters, JoAnna and Jane, and two grandchildren, Paige and Preston.
Onie has retired from Georgia Bound.
