Nelson attended Peabody Conservatory in the early 1940s where he studied the trumpet. In the mid-’40s he assembled his first Nelson Knode Orchestra featuring a vocal group called the Martinaires. The group played big band swing music. They played large halls and the club circuit.
During the late ‘40s as big band scene began to fade, he disbanded the group and opened a music store in Catonsville. Eventually known as Appalachian Bluegrass. In the ‘80s Knode turned the store management over to his son Emory, and formed a new orchestra.
During the ‘50s Knode formed a combo that could be seen at Al Herman’s “Fun Club,” while also performing in a duo with Jonnie Munroe seen at Irene’s Blue Room in late ‘50s-early ‘60s.
Nelson passed away in 2010.
