J. Max McKee makes his home in Shelby, NC and is best known as the King of the Hard Driving Banjo.

Max has performed from Washington to Branson to Florida, and most points in between. Major festivals have included Christopher Run, Virginia, Waldo, Florida, and Bean Blossom, Indiana.

Max entertains the audience with a wide variety of styles which include arrangements by all the greats like Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Don Reno and Raymond Fairchild.  Max is certainly not an imitator, but rather an innovator who's energy and mastery of the banjo is reflected by his own style. One of Max's interests is the composition of original material focusing around the banjo and it's seldom seen or heard capabilities, demonstrated in such original songs as "Hummingbird". Max credits his early influences to Don Reno, Hubert Davis, and Earl Scruggs. Max has been recognized with a feature article in Bluegrass Unlimited and many other bluegrass music related publications and is a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame.

Max could best be described as a traditional, high energy bluegrass picker who has his heart in his music. Good, solid, family-style entertainment is always the end result.