A progressive bluegrass band which had a short but legendary career during the folk revival of the early 1960s.

The band was formed out of the earlier Country Boys, which comprised the three White brothers - Clarence (guitar), Roland (mandolin) and Eric (acoustic bass) - plus Billy Ray Latham (banjo) and LeRoy Mack (dobro).

Eric had to leave the band in 1961 and was replaced by Roger Bush. Roland had to leave for military service and Mack also left in May 1962.

Now reduced to a trio, the group began calling themselves the the Kentucky Colonels. Roland rejoined in September 1962. They were very productive between 1962 and 1965, releasing several albums and experimenting with electric bluegrass music. They appeared at both the UCLA and Newport Folk Festivals in 1964.

The Kentucky Colonels disbanded at the end of 1965. Clarence was offered the job to play guitar in Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys, but he declined and recommended Roland instead. Fan pressure caused the band to reunite and tour for a year, but in 1967 they disbanded again.

In April 1973 the Kentucky Colonels were revived again. Clarence and Roland had met regularly all those years and Bush agreed to join the brothers until Eric was ready to join. He also brought along Byron Berline and Herb Pedersen, his partners in the Country Gazette. They did a few concerts together and then Eric arrived and Berline and Bush returned to Country Gazette. Pedersen stayed a little longer and they did a short European tour. When Pedersen had to return to the US, he brought in Alan Munde, whom he had already introduced to Country Gazette. Munde was still playing with Country Gazette, but as they took a break from touring he was free to help the Kentucky Colonels. Clarence, Roland and Eric together with Munde completed the European tour and one concert in Sweden was even released as an album.

After their return to the US, Munde had to return to Country Gazette and the brothers White started reforming the Colonels once again, this time with Jack Hicks (banjo) and John Kaparakis (guitar). After one gig, when Clarence was loading the group equipment, a drunken driver lost control over her car and smashed in the group's van. Clarence died shortly after and Roland spend several weeks in hospital.