Buddy Mason Griffin (September 22, 1948 – February 11, 2025) was an American bluegrass musician, educator, and session performer whose career spanned more than four decades. Known for his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist, he performed extensively on the Wheeling Jamboree and Grand Ole Opry and contributed to more than 150 recordings by various artists.

Born in Richwood, Griffin grew up in a large musical family immersed in traditional country and bluegrass music. The sixth of eight children, he began playing bass fiddle at an early age and later mastered guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo. At 14, his parents organized a family band, the Sunny Valley Boys, which performed at weddings, church picnics, and community dances, and appeared on local radio and TV.

In 1966, the family relocated to Braxton County, where the band performed on radio three times a week. Griffin graduated from Sutton High School in 1967, and earned a degree in English and social studies from Glenville State College (now University) in 1971. He taught eighth grade in Nicholas County before joining the Wheeling Jamboree in 1973 as the staff banjo and fiddle player.

At the Jamboree, Griffin played alongside prominent musicians of the era, expanding his professional opportunities. After appearing with Mother Maybelle Carter, he toured with the Carter Sisters and later joined the Katie Lauer Band, further establishing his reputation as a sought-after bluegrass session musician. He toured extensively throughout Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio, including performances in schools. When not touring, he continued to play with his parents as The Griffin Family. In 1979, he briefly returned to Braxton County to teach social studies but resumed full-time touring by the early 1980s. In 1982, he made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, playing fiddle with country singer Johnny Russell.

At Russell’s urging, Griffin later relocated to northern Arkansas, where he spent much of the 1990s. For nearly a decade, he performed with Jim & Jesse and the Virginia Boys, but eventually returned to West Virginia to care for his aging parents.

Over the course of his career, Griffin performed on the Grand Ole Opry more than 200 times and toured nationally for approximately 30 years. In 2002, he joined the fine arts faculty at Glenville State, where he helped establish the first accredited four-year degree program in bluegrass music. Although he retired from teaching in 2011, he continued performing with artists such as Jesse McReynolds, Bobby Osborne, the Goins Brothers, and Mac Wiseman.

Griffin received the Vandalia Award—West Virginia’s highest folklife honor—in 2011, and an honorary doctorate from Glenville State in 2019. He was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2023.