You could easily say these two musicians were born to make music together. Identical twins Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark of The Purple Hulls were raised on a working family farm in the deep piney woods of East Texas, but that didn’t stop the Texans from finding their way to the hills of Tennessee, specifically, Music City, where they began touring with various artists and writing songs for Nashville’s largest publishing company, Sony Tree.
Bethlehem Bluegrass Band
The Bethlehem Bluegrass Band (from East Texas) performs Christian music in a bluegrass style and has built their sound based on the influences of contemporary, blues, spiritual, and traditional bluegrass music. Jim Johnson (vocals & mandolin), Sheila Small (vocals), Dirk Coleman (vocals & guitar), Phil Rispin (banjo), Brian Dearborn (bass), and Fred Gebhardt (fiddle) team up to bring the music to life. According to the band, one of the most frequent comments they get after a show is something to the effect of “Wow, I didn’t realize I enjoyed bluegrass music so much until now!”
Breaking Grass
With their fresh sound, original material, strong vocals, and innovative musicianship, Breaking Grass is doing exactly what their name implies. Although not quite traditional, the music they present is without a doubt steeped in the timeless genre they grew up listening to. Comprised of Cody Farrar on guitar; Tyler White on fiddle; Jody Elmore on banjo; Zach Wooten on mandolin; and Britt Sheffield on bass; this innovative band formed with one goal in mind – to make music that all ages could enjoy.
“If Forrest Gump were talking about this band, he might say ‘Breaking Grass is like a box of chocolates….’ With Breaking Grass, my very first impression was; this band understands variety. From heartfelt emotion to barroom romance to a Texas Two-Step to a genuine good-old-fashioned barn-burner, Breaking Grass lacks nothing in mixing it up. It’s refreshing to hear a band that truly is different…different from any other and even different from within.” – Brian McNeal – Prescription Bluegrass
Blue Highway
Blue Highway has earned 27 collective IBMA Awards, 6 SPBGMA Awards, one Dove Award, and three Grammy nominations as a band, plus two Grammy Awards among its current members. Blue Highway’s #1 album Original Traditional was nominated for a 2017 GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album.
Wayne Taylor was inducted into the Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame in October 2016. Tim Stafford received honors as 2014 and 2017 IBMA Songwriter of the Year and 2015 SPBGMA Guitar Player of the Year. Shawn Lane was nominated as 2015 IBMA Songwriter of the Year, while Gaven Largent was nominated as 2016 SPBGMA Dobro Player of the Year.
Blue Highway was voted the Favorite Bluegrass Artist of All Time by the readers of Bluegrass Today in April 2016. Their newest album, Original Traditional, released Sept 2016 and to date has topped multiple National Charts at # 1 THREE TIMES.
Blue Highway charted the Most Radio Airplay of any Bluegrass Artist in 2014, per the 2014 Bluegrass Today Radio Airplay Chart, storming national airplay charts with their heralded album ‘The Game.’
The Game topped multiple charts at #1 including reigning at # 1 for 7 consecutive months on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart, and was named the #1 Bluegrass Album of the Year by critic Daniel Mullins in his end of the year Top 20 Albums of 2014 list in Bluegrass Today.
As momentum continues to build for the 23-year-old band, Blue Highway is rolling on with a rich legacy carried on by three powerhouse songwriters and vocalists in Tim Stafford, Wayne Taylor, and Shawn Lane, whose harmonies soar over the dynamic banjo of Jason Burleson and explosive dobro of Gaven Largent.
Downtown String Band
The Downtown String Band plays traditional acoustic, bluegrass, and swing music with a few modern twists thrown in! The band is a fun and informal collaboration of The Gerald Jones, Alan Tompkins, Michael Morrison, Hailey Sandoz, and the other great musicians who join them from time to time! These folks are outstanding musicians and singers who enjoy playing acoustic music in the style of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and the Soggy Bottom Boys. Get ready for a fun show – they will have your toes tapping along with the fiddle and banjo!
The Purple Hulls
The Purple Hulls are no stranger to road life and are now blazing the trail as a dynamic sister duo, showcasing their unique sibling harmonies while ripping the strings off any instrument they can get their hands on. If you’re looking for authentic acoustic driven music delivered at its best, your search is over.
Bobby Giles & Music Mountain
Bobby Giles and Music Mountain is a Texas-based bluegrass band, featuring original songs and exuberant performances. The winners of both the prestigious Bluegrass Heritage Foundation 2015 Front Porch Showdown Bluegrass Band Contest as well as Texas Bluegrass Music’s 2015 Battle of the Bands, they are also recent inductees into the Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame. The band is currently touring in support of its new CD Story of Love.
Becky McGaughy plays the upright acoustic bass and sings high harmony. The proverbial “bluegrass widow” who decided to pick up the bass to spend time with her husband, keeps a rock-solid beat. Tim McGaughy plays mandolin, sings middle harmony and brings a selfless humor and a unique interpretation of ascending fifths to the band. Dave Kuncicky loves playing the fiddle and delivers precise, pure and intentional musical elements to Music Mountain’s songs. Steve Loggie, the purveyor extraordinaire of the 5-string banjo, brings years of experience and impassioned, intricate musical detail to the band. Bobby Giles is a passionate, award-winning songwriter who sings lead vocals and plays the flat-pick guitar.
The Coleman Brothers & Lone Star Boys
The Coleman Brothers & Lone Star Boys include Craig Coleman on mandolin and Corey Coleman on fiddle and guitar. Both brothers bring their vocals to the mix. Throughout the years the Coleman Brothers have kept their vow to play traditional, hard-driving bluegrass music. Brother harmonies and traditional instrumentation make the Coleman Brothers & Lone Star Boys a great addition to Lone Star Fest.
This is a hard-driving, energetic traditional bluegrass band influenced by the music of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers. From the moment these boys take the stage, you are swept back in time to the good old days, and you just can’t help but have your feet tapping to the beat. The band’s brother-harmony and masterful instrumentation have led the Coleman Brothers & Lone Star Boys to venues around the south. These bluegrass disciples have shared the stage with Alison Krauss, the Dixie Chicks, Dr. Ralph Stanley, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys, and many others. Y’all come on out and see the Coleman Brothers & Lone Star Boys!