Spring 2015 Line-Up

Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-up

March 12th, 13th & 14th

As usual, the Mountain View Spring Bluegrass Festival is packed with first rate acts that are sure to keep you entertained.  We will keep you informed if any new information becomes available so check back often!

Remember…Thursday is All Gospel Night!

 

The Gibson BrothersSaturday Only

Gibson BrothersThe Gibson Brothers took home the 2012 Entertainer of the Year Award at the 23rd annual International Bluegrass Music Awards at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. We also won the “Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year” award for “Singing As We Rise.”

Help My Brother, our tenth album, won the prestigious 2011 IBMA Album of the Year Award. We were named the 2011 IBMA Vocal Group of the Year, the first time a brother duet has won this award.  Help My Brother held the #1 position on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album chart for 8 months. It definitely had staying power,  with songs charting on the BU Top 30 more than a year after its release.

These awards followed on the success of  Ring the Bell.   The title cut of that album won the 2010 IBMA Song and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year.

Music’s brought us a lot of interesting experiences and many friends.  We truly appreciate every one of them.  We’ve been very fortunate to be honored on the historic Ryman stage several times.  And each time our thoughts are back home with the people who helped us get there. Visit The Gibson Brothers Website

 

Lost and Found  –  Friday Only

Lost and Found - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upLost and Found was Formed in 1973, the original lineup of the Lost & Found bluegrass band consisted of bass player Allen Mills, banjo player Gene Parker, mandolin player Dempsey Young and guitarist Roger Handy. The band became quite popular playing bluegrass festivals, with Mills’ exceptional songwriting contributing much to the group’s fame; “Love of the Mountains,” recorded by the original lineup, has become a contemporary bluegrass standard. In addition to contemporary songs, the band also recorded more traditional fare, such as “The Man Who Wrote ‘Home Sweet Home’ Never Was a Married Man.” Most of their albums feature similar material, and the band continues to be a strong positive force in contemporary bluegrass music.

The band first recorded for Outlet Records in 1975, then achieved wider fame after it signed with Roanoke’s Rebel Records in 1982.  By the mid-’90s, only Allen Mills and  DempseyYoung had stayed, recruiting guitarist Berry Berrier and banjo player Lynwood Lunsford as replacements. Through out the years Lost and Found has had many talented member of the band, including Ronnie Bowman, Shane Bartley, Greg Luck, Jody King, Ben Green along with others.  As of today, the band is  made up by Allen Mills on bass, Scottie Sparks on Guitar, Ronald Smith on banjo and newest member Scot Napier on Mandolin replacing the legendary Dempsey Young who passed away December 10, 2006.

Visit Lost and Found’s Website!

 

 Larry Stephenson Band – Thursday Only

Larry Stephenson Band _ Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upHighly regarded as one of Bluegrass Music’s finest High Lead and Tenor vocalist, Larry Stephenson has been a headliner for over twenty years. Larry formed his band in 1989 while living in his home state of Virginia. Stephenson has been a touring bluegrass musician since he played with his Dad beginning in the middle seventies. Born in Harrisonburg, VA and raised in King George, his Dad started him on the mandolin at age five, cutting his first record at age 13. He credits the rich music scene of Virginia for much of his musical success, having seen and heard the first generation bluegrass performers at festivals, shows, and on the radio. After high school graduation, he worked and recorded with Cliff Waldron and Leon Morris while soaking up the Washington, D.C. rich musical scene, which included cutting edge bands like The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene as well as traditional bluegrass and old-time music. Moving onward in 1979 Larry spent 4 ½ years with Bill Harrell & The Virginians. And in 1983 joined the famed Bluegrass Cardinals for 5 ½ years. This combination has been called “…one of the classic lineups of the Bluegrass Cardinals”. Recording with both groups.

In 1992 Larry moved to Nashville, Tennessee and since then, The Larry Stephenson Band has toured widely, recorded frequently, nurturing it’s own sound, based on Larry’s crystal clear, easily recognizable tenor voice, while providing a musical home for some of the finest sidemen in contemporary bluegrass history. Many appearance’s on the Grand Ole Opry and RFD TV have made The Larry Stephenson Band a fan favorite all across the US and Canada. In 1996, Stephenson was made a member of the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame by the Virginia Folk Music Association.

While Larry Stephenson is best known as a touring musician whose voice sets a standard of melody, clarity, and storytelling, he has had an active and well-awarded recording career. He recorded with Webco Records and then spent eighteen years with Pinecastle Records, releasing eighteen CD’s during that period. Signature songs in Larry Stephenson’s vast catalog include “Patches,” “Yes, I See God,” “Clinch Mountain Mystery,” “Many Hills Of Time”, “The Knoxville Girl”, “The Knoxville Boy,” The Pretty Blue Dress” and “The Violet and the Rose.” Another Stephenson fan favorite is his version of Bill Monroe’s classic “Mule Skinner Blues,” often performed as an encore and showcasing his flexible and reliable tenor voice. These songs, always delivered with commitment and conviction are often requested in his live performances at festivals, concerts, and other appearances. Visit Larry’s website.

 

Balsam RangeFriday & Saturday

 

balsalm range - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upIt has been said that the loudest word in the world is your own name. It is who you are, it is how you have been identified to the world and it is a huge part of your self-perception. Place-names can create strong mental images and add building blocks of self-identity that underscore a treasured sense of “where I’m from” or “who I really am.” These powerful feelings of place to which mountain folk cling help define a sense of home shared by those who live there.

Such is the name Balsam Range to a group of five outstanding acoustic musicians and singers from North Carolina. For their band name, they thoughtfully and respectfully adopted the name of a majestic range of mountains that surround part of their home county of Haywood, NC where the Smokies meet the Blue Ridge, the Balsam Range.

Adding to an already impressive list of awards and honors, the band received numerous top honors in the 2014 IBMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year. Balsam Range was also honored at Vocal Group of the Year. Buddy Melton was named Male Vocalist of the Year, and Tim Surrett received a Mentor Award.

The band’s fifth album, Five, made its Billboard Chart debut at #4 and remained on the Billboard chart for an impressive 6 weeks. Additionally, Balsam Range consistently tops radio airplay lists with its history of top singles.

Balsam Range is comprised of five gifted friends who all hail from Western North Carolina. Tim Surrett delivers entertaining MC work as well as seasoned lead and harmony singing. Tim plays bass and he will occasionally share his talents on the resonator guitar. He charms with spontaneity, wit and professionalism. A stellar fiddler, Buddy Melton is also one of the most gifted tenor voices in Bluegrass and Americana today. His range and tone give Balsam Range its identifying sound. With his envied guitar style, Caleb Smith has been called “one of the top young guns of guitar.” He sings with both power and control, delivering a high energy song or a tender ballad with equal vocal skill. Darren Nicholson is a gifted mandolin player and harmony singer with tremendous enthusiasm for American heritage music. That twinkle in Darren’s eye says it all. He is usually up to something! Grammy Award winner, Marc Pruett brings more than 40 years of entertainment experience to the group. He brilliantly complements the ensemble with the intuitive, traditional three finger style that has made him one music’s most admired banjo players.

Elements of jazz, country, gospel, swing and old-time music are all infused into the fresh sound of this unique Southern band. It’s five distinct personalities creating one remarkable musical experience. It’s the award-winning Balsam Range. Visit Balsam Range’s website.

 

Adkins & Loudermilk Band – Friday & Saturday

Adkins & Loudermilk - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upFans are blown away by the powerful and impressive vocals by singer, songwriter and guitarist Dave Adkins. He lives in Elkhorn City, Kentucky and began playing and singing when he was just eight years old. Dave spent two years playing Bluegrass at Dollywood when he was seventeen. His musical background includes both country and rock and spans over twelve years. In 2010 he returned to the genre that was his first love, Bluegrass.  Dave received a 2013 SPBGMA nomination as Male Vocalist of the Year in the Contemporary category.

In November 2013, Mountain Fever Records released the first single (Pike County Jail) from Dave’s upcoming solo album scheduled for release in 2014.  Dave not only wrote this tune, but will contribute other originals to this highly anticipated new project.

Edgar has music running through his blood. A relative of the famous Louvin Brothers, Edgar started playing guitar and mandolin in his family’s band at the age of 9. It did not take long before he was getting offers from several folks to work for them. Edgar has played in bands such as Carolina Crossfire, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, and most recently with Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out.  He and his wife, Sonya have two daughters. They reside in Eastanollee, GA.

glen Crain  - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upGlen Crain has been around music all his life. He started playing drums as a small child, and as a teenager learned to play bass. At the age of 25, he started learning DOBRO and lap steel. Glen has performed with numerous bands over the years and enjoys all types of music. But, his passion is bluegrass. He spent ten years with a Greenville, SC based bluegrass band called The New Dixie Storm. “Playing with Adkins and Loudermilk is like getting together with old friends and playing music. These guys are fun. I’ve always loved family harmony, and they sing together like family, a refreshing new/old sound,” says Glen. When Glen is not playing music, he enjoys his family and friends, and his home in Clearmont, Westminster, SC. Glen and his wife Lynn enjoy traveling on their Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic and seeing the South. Visit Adkins & Loudermilk website.

 

Audie Blaylock – Friday & Saturday

Audie Blaylock & Redline -  Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upThere  are  many  flavors  of  bluegrass,  but  none  so  delicious  as  what  you’ll  hear  on  Rural  Rhythm   Records’  I’m  Going  Back  To  Old  Kentucky  by  Audie  Blaylock  and  Redline.  My  personal  introduction   to  bluegrass  music  included  just  about  all  the  songs  featured  on  this  CD.  So,  they  hold  a  special   place  in  my  heart.  Absolutely  no  track  disappoints  the  listener.  How  can  that  be?   Audie  Blaylock,  along  with  Redline  members:  Patrick  McAvinue  (fiddle/vocals),  Reed  Jones   (bass/vocals),  and  Russ  Carson  (banjo)  comprise  a  wealth  of  talent  alone.  Add  special  guests  Del   McCoury,  Ronnie  McCoury,  Bobby  Osborne,  Lou  Reid,  Carl  Jackson,  Glen  Duncan,  and  Jason   Carter  to  the  mix  and  you  cannot  have  anything  less  than  a  truly  outstanding  piece  of  work.  These   extra-­‐special  guest  artists  add  a  little  of  their  magic  to  every  single  track  on  the  CD.  Visit Audies Website!

 

The Redmond Keisler Band Thursday Only

Redmon Keisler Band - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upRedmond and Randy Keisler brought their God-given talents and showmanship to the stage for over 27 years. Because of a bad neck surgery, Randy is not able to perform as this time. The Keisler Brothers Appreciate their loyal, enthusiastic fans, friends & promoters that have supported them over the years.

Redmond will continue the tradition with long time friends, Roy Hale, Rodney Heslep and Mike Lane on bass as The Redmond Keisler Band. Mike will fill in until Randy is able to perform again, as the Keisler Brothers Band. The band’s love for Bluegrass music, good Christian roots, and rural upbringing gives their music a natural flow for a family oriented, high energy show with something for everyone.

The Redmond Keisler Band will always be a Crowd pleaser! Visit Redmond Keisler’s Website

 

Lonesome Ridge – Thursday & Friday

Lonesome Ridge Band - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upLonesome Ridge is surely a Mountain View Favorite! It’s not unusual the see these guys playing their hearts out on the Mountain View Court Square on a regular basis. They are sure to please you with their impecable musicianship and sweet vocal harmonies. Vickie Neal, Lead & Harmony Vocals – Spanky Neal – Dobro, Guitar & Lead Vocals – John Smith – Guitar, Lead & Harmony Vocals – Curtis Adkison – Banjo, Lead & Harmony Vocals – C. J. Adkison, Bass – Will Rhodes, Fiddle & Mandolin. Visit Lonesome Ridge’s Website!

 

The Cobb BrothersSaturday Only

Cobb Brothers - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upThe multi-talented Cobb Brothers from Mountain View, Arkansas have played extensively in Mountain View and around the country. The brothers, Caleb 19, Samuel 17, and Nathan 15, are all very talented young men. Caleb plays fiddle, guitar, banjo and piano. He won the junior state fiddling championship when he was 12.

Samuel plays mandolin and fiddle, and is currently Grand National Jig Dance Champion. Nathan plays bass and guitar. The three brothers are also state and national clogging champions. Among the venues they have performed at the Ozark Folk Center, Cash’s White River Hoedown, Mickey Gilley’s Theatre, Silver Dollar City, and many bluegrass festivals in Arkansas and the surrounding areas. They have performed with the Tennessee Gentlemen, Tim Crouch, and Chubby Checker. They will be in Nashville in March performing on the General Jackson Showboat.

The brothers were selected from 1,200 entrants to be one of forty-eight acts to appear on the RFD-TV Shotgun Red Variety Show in Branson, Mo. Visit The Cobb Brothers Facebook Page

 

Kurt Stephenson Band – Thursday Only

Kurt Stephenson - Mountain View Bluegrass Festival 2015 Spring Line-upKurt Stephenson, a first-timer to Winfield and the Festival placed first in the 2010 National Bluegrass Banjo Championship. A 25-year old Radiation Therapist, he hails form Dyersburg, TN. Kurt said he had heard about Winfield and the Festival for the first time about 13 years ago but never had the chance to come. This year he was inspired by a friend to come and one might say it paid off. His dad bought him his first banjo when he was nine years old. In addition to the banjo Kurt plays the guitar, mandolin and bass. Kurt is a busy man with his job, his church and with his music. Kurt chose for his first place finish an OME Gold Odyssey Megatone Bluegrass Banjo by OME Banjos of Boulder, CO. Visit Kurt’s Facebook Page

 

Don’t miss our Fall Bluegrass Festival
November 12-14 2015

Featuring:

Catahoula Drive
Volume Five
Nothin’ Fancy
Junior Sisk & Radio Ramblers
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
Hickory Hill
Dueling Heart
Mountain Faith
Hartley Family
…..and many more

 

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