A native of Mount Airy, North Carolina, Bowman sang gospel music from age three until his late-teens.
[1] From 1990 until 2001, Bowman then was vocalist and bass player in the Lonesome River Band, with bandmates Sammy Shelor, Dan Tyminski, and Tim Austin.
[1] Cold Virginia Night, released in 1994, featured appearances by Alison Krauss, Del McCoury, and Tony Rice.
Bowman was also assisted byTyminski, Jerry Douglas, and Barry Bales (all from Union Station), Ron Stewart, and Steve Gulley.
[9] Besides Bowman, the Band of Ruhks includes two other former Lonesome River Bandmates: Don Rigsby and Kenny Smith.