Jimmy Gaudreau

As The Country Gentlemen Reunion Band, Gaudreau with Randy Waller (son of Charlie Waller), Eddie Adcock, and Tom Gray recorded one album in 2008.

When Chesapeake split up, Gaudreau and vocalist Moondi Klein began to play the occasional show. This led to their 2008 album 2:10 Train, followed by Home From the Mill and then If I Had A Boat, all released on Rebel Records. In 2008, Gaudreau and Klein toured with Emmylou Harris.

Gaudreau's solo career includes The Mandolin Album on Puritan Records. In Good Company on CMH Records in 2006 collects tracks from Gaudreau's career, with Tony Rice, Eddie Adcock, and Charlie Waller, among others.

A group of Washington DC area musicians got together for fun in 2006, and decided to record as the Skylighters. The musicians were Gaudreau (mandolin, vocals), Auldridge (resonator guitar), Eric Brace (guitar, vocals), J. Carson Gray (bass), and Martin Lynds (drums, vocals). They played a mixture of bluegrass, western swing, gospel, and honky-tonk music, and recorded one self-titled album on the Red Beet label.

In 2005, Gaudreau was inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America's "Hall of Greats".

In 1994, Gaudreau produced Mandolin Artistry: Vol 1.: Young Mando Monsters, an album showcasing Ronnie McCoury, Adam Steffey, Radim Zenkl, Emory Lester, Wayne Benson, Dan Tyminski, Raymond Legere, and Alan Bibey.

In 1992, Chesapeake, featuring Gaudreau, Mike Auldridge, T. Michael Coleman, and Moondi Klein, released three critically acclaimed albums on the Sugar Hill label. With no banjo, they were more acoustic country than bluegrass. Chesapeake disbanded in 1999 when their contract with Sugar Hill ended.

In 1985, Gaudreau was a member of the Tony Rice Unit for 11 years. Besides Rice and Gaudreau, the Unit included Wyatt Rice (guitar), Ronnie Simpkins (bass), and Rickie Simpkins (fiddle). Gaudreau looked for other opportunities when Rice's vocal problems hinted at an end to the band.

From 1979 through 1981, Gaudreau was a member of Spectrum with banjoist Béla Fleck and bassist Mark Schatz. They recorded two albums for Rounder Records: Too Hot To Handle (1982) and Live In Japan (1983). After this, Gaudreau returned to the Country Gentlemen for his second stint.

Gaudreau formed Country Store in 1973 with Keith Whitley (guitar), Carl Jackson (banjo), and Bill Rawlings (bass). Later, Jackson was replaced by Jimmy Arnold, and Whitley was replaced by Chris Stifel. They recorded two albums and broke up in 1975.

In 1971, Eddie Adcock (banjo) assembled the progressive bluegrass band II Generation with Gaudreau, Bob White (bass), and Wendy Thatcher (guitar). II Generation was known for extended jams, and they called their music "newgrass." They disbanded in 1980.

Gaudreau moved to the Washington, DC area from his native Rhode Island in 1969 to become a member of the Country Gentlemen, replacing John Duffey and joining Charlie Waller, Ed Farris, and Eddie Adcock. In his first stint with the band, he contributed to two albums: New Look New Sound and One Wide River. He rejoined the Gentlemen from 1981 until 1985 to record Good as Gold (Sugar Hill) and Let the Light Shine Down.