November, 2011 Entertainment Calendars
Entertainer Bios
High Ground Bluegrass Band
Take four experienced, professional musicians from different backgrounds, mix well and what do you get? A red hot contemporary bluegrass band! With four different lead singers, all with the ability to sing any harmony part, their performances keep you on the edge of your seat. Each song has it’s own distinct sound.
Charlie Maddox
Native of the Shenandoah Valley where his family has lived for over 200 years. This deep connection with the heritage of this region he has maintained and explored through his love for the history and performance of traditional music. His programs focus on the traditional music of the Appalachian Region and the music of the British Isles, the primary source for pre-1920s Appalachian song and dance among English speaking peoples. Charlie strives to engage the imagination of guests of all ages by an earnest invitation to participate in singing the refrains of songs and to accompany him by playing various primitive folk instruments. He performs with the following instruments: hammer dulcimer, lap dulcimer, banjo and guitar; and, occasionally, the jaws harp, mouth bow, bones, limberjack, washboard, and washtub.
Resi Linton
Sings with tracks and performs country, bluegrass, top 40, disco, jazz, swing, standards and some originals.
Debbie Zinn and Natural Grass
Easy Listening, contemporary songs, sing-a-longs, bluegrass, country, classic rock.
Plays acoustic guitar. www.debbiezinn.com
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Mike McCray:
After years of playing various styles of music in several different bands, Mike McCray decided to go solo with his own type of music. For lack of a better term, it can be called contemporary folk, but with influences ranging from traditional American to swing, and from bluegrass to rock, his is not your normal coffee-house folk. An educator, historian, writer and farmer, Mike uses the songs he has collected and composed to tell stories that make you think, laugh, remember and learn.
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Randy Churchill:
His style is an acoustic variety. He performs a mix of classic rock, country, new rock, easy listening, and a handful of originals. The evening is also spent getting to know the audience, and hearing their stories while hiking/camping in the park.
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Michael Geddes
Michael’s performing and recording career began at the age of 19 and has performed at hundreds of various venues from New England to Mexico, Florida, Holland and Virginia. He has been the opening act for such notables as Judy Collins, Dave Mason, The Pure Prairie League and Lou Rawls. As a result of performing in Shenandoah National Park for over 25 years, his original music reflects Virginia’s history and natural beauty. Michael’s show also includes standards from such greats as Cat Stevens, James Taylor and Willie Nelson, The Beatles and more. Visit Michael's website for his performing schedule.
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Shen Fine
Performing Celtic music with an Appalachian twist, Shen Fine (short for “Shenandoah’s Finest”) formed in 2000. With a changing lineup over the first few years, Shen Fine now consists of Brent Holl on guitars and vocals, Shannon Dove on guitars, vocals and bodhran, and Cheryl Tobler on flute, whistles, and fiddle. Shen Fine plays tunes and songs from Ireland and Scotland as well as contemporary acoustic folk music and original songs written by band member, Shannon Dove. We cover songs of Gordon Lightfoot, Mike Scott, John Prine, George Strait, and Corb Lund. Our “Sailor Sets” are legendary for lusty sing-a-longs and our stirring pub songs get everyone involved. Shannon, Brent and Cheryl are often joined by special guests at their gigs where they can incorporate even more sounds and stylings from the Celtic lands For more information on Shen Fine, visit their website at www.shenfine.com or contact the band at shenfine@mac.com.
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Richard Follett
Performs easy-on-the-ears acoustic folk music. His song list includes familiar tunes from the 1920’s to the present as well as his original compositions, which offer insightful lyrics and inviting melodies you will want to hear over and over again. Rich is a public school teacher whose program is punctuated with interesting anecdotes and true stories from his classroom experiences. One of Rich’s CDs received the following review from Amazon.com: “Rich Follett's melodies are not only soothing to listen to, his lyrics speak right to your heart with feelings only he seems to be able to put to words. His voice is like velvet, and people just want to stop and hear it.”
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Larry Taylor
A seasoned veteran to the stage, Larry offers acoustic entertainment for audiences of all ages and a fun evening filled with old favorites as well as current tunes.
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Possum Ridge String Band
Formed in 2002, the band plays old time string music from the southern Appalachian mountains. They also play Irish and Scottish music. Core instruments include fiddle, banjo, guitar, hammered dulcimer, bass, whistles and a didjeridoo. The didjeridoo adds a fascinating sound to many of their tunes. Anglo concertina, mandolin, bodhran and autoharp round out the mix of instruments played.
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Shenandoah Valley Cloggers
The Shenandoah Valley Cloggers Inc., formed in 1984, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Appalachian clogging, a distinctive form of American folk dance, which encompasses many different traditions of step dances with Scottish, English, Dutch and German roots. To entertain a variety of ages, the troupe’s music includes everything from bluegrass, to country, to pop, to old time rock ‘n’ roll. Since 1984, the troupe has been performing Tuesday evenings from April through October at Skyland Resort in Shenandoah National Park. In addition to performing more than 30 shows a year, the Cloggers also perform at the Page County Heritage Festival in October, Luray’s Festival of Spring in May and have danced at the Homestead in Hot Springs, for PanAm Tours in Washington, D.C, at an Eastern U.S Trade Show representing Virginia at Stone Mountain, Ga., and aboard the USS Shenandoah in Norfolk. In 2002, the troupe’s performance at Skyland Resort was nationally broadcast on the NBC morning program, the Today Show. The troupe is made up of 14 dancers, ranging in age from mid-20s to late 60s, all focused on their love of clogging and the enjoyment of entertaining.
Hi-Horse Cloggers
The Hi-Horse Cloggers of Stanardsville, Virginia, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1985. The Hi-Horse Cloggers has steadily grown from 6 members to the current 32 members, ranging in ages from 6 to 67. The traditional style of clogging is promoted by the Hi-Horse Cloggers through their performances and teaching. Although this style of clogging is slowly giving way to a more modern dance method, some of which is included in our performances, we are striving to keep the traditional style alive as it is part of our American heritage.
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Lee Blanton
Started performing while aboard the USS Nassau in the mid 1980's, moved to the Shenandoah Valley and played Bluegrass for years before returning to solo performing. Now starting the 15th year performing at Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah National Park with a genre of music considered to be Americana Folk or Folk Roots. Songs range from late 1800's folk ballads and 1930's Blues with covers of Johnny Cash, Neil Young and Dylan in the mix.
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SunnySide Band
SunnySide began in September 2007, playing their first gig at Humpback Rocks Old Settlers Museum on the Blue Ridge Parkway. With their passions in playing the old-time mountain music, this trio is a harmony of beautiful sound. SunnySide is dedicated to keeping the old-time mountain roots alive. They do more than just play their acoustic instruments and sing words. They strum each note with the heart of the natives; they sing each story through the eyes of its past, and they live each moment through the spirit of the mountains. SunnySide is old-time mountain music.
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Hollowbound Bluegrass
The band was formed in 2003 by Brian Taylor. Band members include Bob "Doc" Chappell who met Brian in 2003 when he was Superintendent of Schools in Rappahannock County. Bob does vocals, and plays violin, guitar and bass. Brian Taylor, a graduate of Virginia Tech, put bluegrass on the back burner until coming back to Rappahannock County where "Doc" Chappell and he began to play bluegrass again on an regular basis. Brian does vocals, and plays guitar, upright bass, mandolin, banjo and dobro. Alex Davis Taylor, Brian's wife, and the newest addition to the group, is also a Virginia Tech graduate and does vocals and plays upright bass and mandolin.
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Flat Top Fred
Meet Doug Worley and Chuck Wilson, known collectively as FLAT TOP FRED. Straight out of the Shenandoah Valley, the varying influences and musical styles these two blend, make for an acoustic experience like no other. Performing familiar songs from the past 50 years including rock, country, blues and standards, FLAT TOP FRED provide the soundtrack to an entertaining evening filled with smiles, sing-a-longs and fond memories of forgotten favorites. The two combined, offer up more than 25 years of experience as professional entertainers and perform regularly throughout the valley and beyond. Be sure to visit www.FLATTOPFRED.com for more information and look for them when you visit the park
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