We are sorry to report on the passing of Jeff Austin. In a statement on his facebook page it was announced,
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of a beloved family member, mandolinist, singer, songwriter and founder of The Jeff Austin Band, and Yonder Mountain String Band, Jeff Austin. Austin passed away June 24, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. He was son of Eileen Austin, husband to Devlyn, and father to Lily Rose (12), Penelope (5), and Jude Patrick (2). He was a dear friend whose music touched the lives of so many, and will be sorely missed.
If you would like to make a contribution to help his family, please visit https://sweetrelief.org/jeff-austin-fund/. “
Most fans of music know Jeff Austin as the singer and mandolin player who helped to propel Younder Mountain String band to national prominence and who helped to usher in a modern jamgrass movement that continues to this day.
Austin was born in the Chicago area and went to both the University of Cincinnati but eventually settled in the Urbana IL area. There he began his pursuit of mandolin in an early band called the Bluegrassholes alongside a banjo player named Dave Johnston.
Soon Austin moved to Nederland Colorado where he was later joined by Johnston. They, together with Ben Kaufmann and Adam Aijala- formed Yonder Mountain String Band. YMSB formed in the late 1990s and soon become a national touring juggernaut and music festival staple. Austin parted with the band amicably in 2014 and continued on in his own group, Jeff Austin Band. Yonder Mountain continued to tour with its own lineup sans Austin. The Jeff Austin Band had a slate of tour dates throughout this summer from June 28 at ROMP festival in Kentucky to festivals and club dates all over the country. Austin’s influence can be felt around the music world as countless bands have been influenced by his playing.
