Around 2001, singer and guitarist Keith Jackson, the nephew of Billy Powers, who was a member of the Foggy Mountain Boys, approached banjoist Bruce Cannole about starting a traditional bluegrass band. They formed the Busted Hearts on the pretense of playing undiluted mountain music. Jackson, a hardcore traditionalist, grew up in a family of musicians and has been listening to people sing and pick the "real stuff" since he was a boy. Jackson and Cannole wanted to capture the old-time sound of traditional bluegrass without being hokey about it, and went in search of other musicians to create the ideal combination of players. The Busted Hearts wound up opening a few shows for Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys. In 2006, the group released Sin Sorrow & Salvation, their debut album on Fundamental Records. ~ Megan Frye