Brad Laird is the resident mandolin player with the bluegrass group, Pony Express, which he founded while in college in 1979. He played mandolin with the bluegrass group Cedar Hill for 26 years beginning in 1983. Other bands which Brad has performed with include The Incorrigible String Band, The Bluegrass All-Stars, The Slackey Family Band, Whoa Nelly, Super String Theory, The Rex Mill Ramblers and The Mosier Brothers Band.
He has recorded several albums, has been a mandolin, banjo, upright bass and guitar teacher since 1982 and is an alumni of the Atlanta Mandolin Society Orchestra in which he played mandola and mandocello. Brad has built several mandolins and a wall full of old-time fretless banjos over the years.
Brad has written many mandolin instruction books including the popular Mandolin Master Class and The Mandolin Handbook. He is a songwriter and has composed over 50 bluegrass songs and instrumentals. Brad also has a series of Clawhammer Banjo lessons available.
Brad was inducted into the Hall of Honor of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004. He is a charter member of The Ancient Order of the Mandolin and served as their first M.E.M.