Edgar Meyer
He transformed the double bass from an orchestral anchor into a virtuosic voice that speaks fluently in bluegrass, jazz, and classical.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American bassist and composer·Birthday: November 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Edgar Meyer grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, a child of the Appalachian foothills, and his musical journey began with the double bass under his father's tutelage. He studied at Indiana University but quickly charted a path that defied genre. Meyer didn't just play the bass; he reimagined its possibilities, coaxing from it the intricate, percussive runs of bluegrass, the lyrical depth of a cello, and the improvisational freedom of jazz. His career is a map of unlikely collaborations, from sharing stages with bluegrass mandolinist Chris Thile to composing concertos for cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Joshua Bell. Meyer writes music that feels both ancient and freshly minted, earning a shelf of Grammy Awards not for fitting in, but for building a new sonic home where high art and folk tradition are roommates.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Edgar was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Edgar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Edgar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He is the only bassist to have received the Avery Fisher Prize, a major award for American instrumentalists.
- His collaborative album 'The Goat Rodeo Sessions' with Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, and Stuart Duncan won the 2012 Grammy for Best Folk Album.
- He composed a double bass concerto that he premiered with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1993.
- He holds a MacArthur Fellowship, often called the 'genius grant,' awarded in 2002.
Did You Know?
Meyer is an avid fly fisherman and has said the rhythm and patience of the sport influence his approach to music.
He built his first double bass as a teenager, shaping the instrument he would later master.
He performed on the soundtrack for the film 'The Civil War,' composed by his frequent collaborator Mark O'Connor.
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