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Alison Krauss, born July 23, 1971 in Decatur, Illinois, is a bluegrass singer and virtuoso fiddle player who grew up in Champaign, Illinois. Almost certainly the most successful bluegrass musician ever, Krauss has had several platinum-selling albums, has received seventeen Grammy Awards (more than any other woman in the history of country music), and been a featured performer in the Oscars. In 1995 she was awarded Female Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association.
A protégé of Bill Monroe, her music has wide appeal, beyond its traditional popularity within country and folk circles. Best known for her work on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? movie soundtrackGenerally speaking, the term soundtrack refers to the recorded sound in a motion picture. In terms of film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. The term soundtrack is also commonly used to refer to, as well as its companion album, Down from the Mountain , Krauss's music is also featured prominently on the Cold MountainCold Mountain is a novel by Charles Frazier which was adapted by Anthony Minghella into a film in 2003. It was directed by Minghella. The movie stars Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Natalie Portman. Although set in the soundtrack, for which she was nomintated for an Oscar. Her band, Union Station, is a traditional bluegrass ensemble, but Krauss is not a complete purist, having covered songs by, among others, the Beatles.