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Courtesy Rounder Records

During Rhonda Vincent's three-decade career she's released at least 10 solo records and appeared on albums by Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis and Ralph Stanley.

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Click on photo to enlarge

Courtesy Rounder Records

Released in January, Rhonda Vincent's ÒGood Thing GoingÓ went to number one on BillboardÕs bluegrass charts.

WALHALLA — In the early-70s, a tightwad helped determine future bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent’s instrument of choice. Vincent, then 8 years old, was traveling with her family’s bluegrass band, The Sally Mountain Show, and singing a couple of tunes during their performances.

When the group arrived at a gig in Missouri, the event’s producer told bandleader/patriarch Johnny Vincent only band members playing instruments would be paid. After assessing the mandate, Johnny handed his young daughter a mandolin.

“He said, here’s G, C and D. You’re going to be playing those for two-and-a-half hours every Friday and Saturday night,” Rhonda Vincent said.

Thirty-five years later, Vincent racked up a number one record with “Good Thing Going,” which topped Billboard’s bluegrass charts after a January release. The album is a compelling quilt of modern lyrics and classic sounds.

On the title cut, Vincent sings about finding happiness amid everyday life and dirty dishes. Meanwhile, her Weber mandolin chirps alongside a down-home shuffle.

“I love that analogy — traditional bluegrass with a fresh approach — and several people have mentioned that,” Vincent said. “It’s something we do naturally. We don’t set out to create a certain sound. Each project takes on the personality of the songs and the musicians who come in and play them. We don’t sit there and say, ‘Play it like this.’”

In concert, “Heartbreaker’s Alibi” provides a scorching showcase for Vincent’s touring band, The Rage. All the players are multi-instrumentalists, including Vincent, who, in addition to mandolin, plays guitar and fiddle on stage.

“Mandolin is where I’m most comfortable,” she said. “ The fiddle slays me. Unless you play that thing every day it will defy you.”

During Vincent’s career she’s released at least 10 solo records, as well as several Sally Mountain Show discs. The mother of two has also appeared on albums by Dolly Parton, Faith Hill, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis and Ralph Stanley. Contemporary country star Keith Urban flipped the switch for “Good Thing Going,” singing with Vincent on the ballad “The Water is Wide.” The hunky Aussie walked out of his own sessions to cut a vocal on Vincent’s track.

Like the rest of “Good Thing Going,” the song was recorded in a four-bedroom house seven miles from the Nashville International Airport. Three years ago, Vincent turned the home into her own recording facility, Adventure Studios.

Vincent maintains a hectic touring schedule, which sees her playing everything from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to festivals to state fairs to corporate gigs.

“We love the challenge of each day — where to set up the merch, everything,” Vincent said.

Because of her packed itinerary, Vincent records her albums in snippets: a couple of days here, a late night-session there. Since she owns her own studio the hit-it-and-quit-it pace poses no problem.

Lately, Vincent has been working on her next release, with seven numbers already in the can. While she didn’t want to reveal too much about the project, Vincent said the album, her first as sole producer, would feature songs from her childhood.

Adventure Studio’s interior walls are painted in greens, blues and reds. One day soon, Vincent hopes to decorate the space with black-and-white photos she’s collected of legendary pickers Flat & Scruggs.

During a recent stop in Nashville, Vincent invited another rural music icon to Adventure to guest on a track. (She wants to keep the name under wraps for now.) However, all the studio’s microphones were already allocated, so the engineer went on to rent another, returning with a unit used by Michael Jackson on the blockbuster “Thriller” LP. What a weird collision: a mike that documented the King of Pop’s finest hour was now recording high-lonesome yodels.

Rounder Records has issued Vincent’s last five discs. The imprint is known for roots music — like the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss critical smash “Raising Sand” — but also releases records by the alternative combo Ween. After three decades in the music business, Vincent appreciates the autonomy Rounder extends its artists.

“They give you money to go into the studio and instead of saying ‘make this’ or ‘target that’ they say ‘create the music you love.’ Who else does that?”