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!”
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!
Augusta Road
Augusta Road comes to you from various locations in East Texas – just good friends making good music! Band members Jed Mobley, Julie Tucker, Lynn Gray, Dennis Clute, and Mike Tucker invite you to enjoy the bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music of Augusta Road!
Blake Williams
An accomplished musician, master of ceremonies and entertainer, BLAKE WILLIAMS has been in professional entertainment for over 40 years. After nine years as a disc jockey for WSMT, he toured with Bobby Smith & The Boys From Shiloh and soon moved into the role of banjo player for Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass until Lester’s death in 1979. Blake went on to work with the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, for ten years, making him Monroe’s longest tenured banjo player. In 1991, Blake was invited to play bass with comedian, Hee Haw star and Grand Ole Opry member, Mike Snider where he stayed until 2001. In early 2002, Blake founded the group The Expedition Show (formerly Williams & Clark Expedition) and continues to perform professionally. During his career, Blake has toured 48 states and seven countries, played Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Lincoln Center. He recorded two albums with Lester Flatt and six albums with Bill Monroe for which one of them, Southern Flavor, won the first Grammy for Bluegrass Album of The Year.
You can hear Blake’s bass work on five albums with Mike Snider and two live videos, as well. He has also performed on projects by Patty Loveless and Vince Gill. Blake has recorded three solo projects and performed regularly on the Grand Ole Opry for over 23 years.
In addition to his musicianship, Blake is an excellent master of ceremonies and one of the best country comedians in the business. He has also enjoyed songwriting success having his songs covered by Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and The Expedition Show. Blake is a three-time SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America) Entertainer Of The Year nominee (2007-2009) and he graced the… Continue reading →
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.
Robertson County Line
Since forming in 2010, Robertson County Line has quickly become one of the premier Gospel Bluegrass bands known to festival goers across the state of Texas. The band has entertained a wide range of audiences with its mix of traditional and contemporary bluegrass gospel as well as original music, written by the band’s lead singer Jeff Robertson.
“They were just having fun at the festivals jamming, that’s how it all started. David and Jeff decided at the last second to sign up for the band contest at Salmon Lake Park in Grapeland Texas. We didn’t know we had won and were blown away when they wanted to book us.”
Robertson County Line is made up of David Hallmark (Mandolin, vocals), Jacob Roberts (Bass, vocals), Jonathan Thrift (Banjo, vocals), and Jeff Robertson (Guitar, vocals). 2010 Salmon Lake Park Band Competition Champions
Pine Island Station
The award-winning Pine Island Station is a Houston-area bluegrass band that delivers energetic, heartfelt music from a wide variety of sources, including original tunes. Whether it’s traditional or contemporary, cowboy or folk, swing or gospel, this top-notch acoustic group makes the songs their own, with crowd-pleasing vocal and instrumental arrangements.
In a city full of great bands, Pine Island Station is a favorite among their peers as well as among their growing audiences. From small rooms to large stages their fans return for the “special blend” harmonies, and the versatility of four lead instruments in capable hands.
The group’s second recording, “Call of the Past”, has received great reviews, airplay both nationally and abroad, and was featured in the magazine Bluegrass Unlimited (Oct 2002).
“their arrangements are truly inspirational…great instrumentation…catch their performance once, you’ll be back!”
Houston Bluegrass“one foot in tradition and the other looking ahead…a lot of talent”
Bluegrass Unlimited“a Bluegrass Nirvanah”
Guy Gillette, of the Gillette Brothers
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!
The Herrins
The Herrin Family Bluegrass Band has performed together for nearly 20 years at festivals, theaters, conventions, and other events of all kinds across 13 states. The band has been nominated for and has won numerous gospel and bluegrass music awards over the years, including the FOCM Band of the Year award in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002, STGMA 2004 Group of the Year award, GMAA 2004, 2005, and 2006 Band of the Year award, TIMA 2008 Bluegrass Band of the Year, and the TIMA Lifetime Achievement Award. The individual band members have been nominated for numerous music performance and songwriting awards as well. The band has performed live on numerous radio and television programs and always thrills audiences with their strong vocal harmonies and driving instrumental arrangements.