Tony Tilley grew up in Anderson County, South Carolina, in a house full of music. His dad and older brother David were his earliest influences, and harmony singing was practically a family tradition. At 12 years old he was already playing in his first band — a group called Backwoods Country with his brother and a set of brothers named Culbertson. Then life happened, as it does, and Tony stepped away from organized band life for nearly 30 years.

He came back to the stage with The Band Silver, and by his own account, he's having a blast.

Tony plays several instruments — rhythm and lead guitar, a little piano, mandolin, and he's been working on fiddle — but the bass guitar is where he lives. His musical taste runs deep and wide: Elvis, a long catalog of classic country artists, the smooth sounds of the Carpenters and Bread, and the storytelling craft of Tom T. Hall and Kris Kristofferson. Tony doesn't just play the songs; he understands them.