Singer and flatpicking guitar wizard Charlie Waller formed the Country Gentlemen in Washington, D.C., in 1957 with singer/mandolinist John Duffey. They prefigured progressive bluegrass, drawing material from non-traditional, non-country sources. Over the years, the shifting lineup included an astounding number of future bluegrass stars: Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson, Jerry Douglas, Bill Emerson, and others. Waller kept the band going until his death in 2004, after which his son Randy carried on in his place.