Ted Jones And The Tarheel Boys specialize in traditional bluegrass music. The group was founded in 2004 by Smithfield, North Carolina native Ted Jones who was eighteen years old at the time. No stranger to performing, Ted began playing guitar and singing gospel music with his Mom and Dad at the early age of eight. While entertaining through the years Ted became friends with mandolin player Nelson Allen who actually gave Ted his first mandolin when he was eleven. After learning a few chords, the mandolin soon became his first choice of instruments.