Inspired by music greats such as Hank Williams Sr., Chet Atkins, and Willie Nelson; at the early age of 13, Ross Key picked up his first guitar. By 15, he strapped on his guitar, and auditioned without his parents' knowledge at a local bar near his home landing his first paying weekly gig. He was also teaching music at 15. In 1979, he toured Europe with the Boy Scouts of America, showcasing his musical talent before royalty in Sweden and elsewhere.

Key has mastered 6 and 12-string guitars, playing lead, rhythm, and bass. He has won the Virginia state dobro championship. He also has mastered banjo, fiddle, piano, and drums. He plays the mandolin as well. RKC prefers to play acoustic instruments.

Key has written and sold original material through ASCAP which has been recorded by Larry Gaitlin and the Gaitlin Brothers and also by the Statler Brothers. He recently was accepted with BMI and is affiliated with its Nashville group.

He's played with and/or fronted for, popular artists such as Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Jr., Freddy Fender, Alabama, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffet and many others. RKC later traveled professionally in the bluegrass circuit with Lower 40 Grass before leaving the band, and moving his talents to the professional gospel circuit, playing gospel music around the country with the Vessels of God for 15 years. He left the music industry in 1992 to raise his family in Campbell County, Virginia.

He has once again began playing as a solo act on the local music circuit with his lifelong goal once again focused on Nashville. He not only performs traditional and current country/bluegrass/blues material, but also his own original material.