Ian Abel

Born in Nashville and raised in Kentucky, Abel has grown into an award-winning guitarist, powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and frontman whose road has taken him from the Whisky a Go Go and Troubadour to the Grand Ole Opry and stages packed with thousands. His sound blends Southern rock, blues, country, Americana, and psychedelic music into something distinctly his own. Think Chris Stapleton meets Pink Floyd: gritty, soulful, expansive, and unpredictable. But Abel comes alive onstage. His playing is dynamic and instinctive, knowing when a song needs restraint and when it needs to explode. He has toured as lead guitarist for T. Graham Brown and Dillon Carmichael, played the Grand Ole Opry twice, and shared stages with Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Randy Houser, Brothers Osborne, The Band Perry, and Diamond Rio. After one Ohio performance before more than 8,000 people, Lynyrd Skynyrd's Johnny Van Zant and Rickey Medlocke came looking for him. “Which one of you is Ian?” They found him. “You rocked.” Today, Abel leads the Ian Abel Band with a sound shaped by years on the road, legendary stages, and a relentless pursuit of the next great song. When Ian Abel hits the stage, Southern rock gets cosmic. The guitars roar, the voice cuts through, and the room catches fire. This is the Space Cowboy—and the ride is just beginning.