| Marty Raybon, former lead singer for the country group Shenandoah, will return “Full Circle” to headline a concert of bluegrass music on Friday, September 12, 2003 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Bristol, VA, just off exit 7, interstate 81. |
| Although most widely known as the lead singer for the country group Shenandoah, Marty Raybon’s bluegrass roots run deep. From his days as a teenager in Florida drawing the Bluegrass Unlimited logo or the peghead of Monroe’s mandolin in his notebook to performing as a member of the American Bluegrass Express with his dad Ken and brothers Tim and Rick, he has been inspired by musicians such as the Osborne Brothers, Jim & Jesse, and Jimmy Martin. In the mid-1970s, the Bluegrass Express made its first recordings and became one of the first Florida-based acts to travel widely beyond their home state. However, the grind of part-time playing and full-time work eventually wore out the American Bluegrass Express, and inspired by the success of bluegrasser-turned-country-star Ricky Skaggs, Marty headed for Nashville in 1984. By the following year, he’d scored a publishing deal and moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, joining the band that would eventually become Shenandoah. Shenandoah framed Marty’s smoky voice with bluegrass-tinged harmonies and crisp contemporary instrumentation on hits like their first #1, “The Church On Cumberland Road,” making the group one of the most popular during the country boom of the late 80s and early 90s. Country music critic and historian Robert K. Oermann notes that, “Marty can make you hang on every word of a story song like “Summertown Road,’ or raise the hairs on the back of your neck when his tenor rides atop the breakneck pace of “White House Blues.” Named the Academy of Country Music’s Top Vocal Group for 1990, Shenandoah helped pave the way to prominence for bluegrass diva Alison Krauss, as their duet, “Somewhere In The Vicinity Of The Heart,” hit the Top 10 in late 1994 and earned Country Music Association and Grammy awards the following year. |
| Despite the group’s success, Marty’s growing spirituality and creative restlessness eventually led him to leave. After recording an album with his brother, a solo country CD, and several gospel albums, he recently released his latest recording project, Full Circle. Full Circle is a sensational bluegrass album that includes a half dozen classics from Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and Jimmy Martin, remakes of two Shenandoah hits and a gem from his solo album of 2000, and three new songs written or co-written by Marty, one featuring a guest vocal from bluegrass gospel and country singer Sonya Isaacs. Marty will be joined by special guests Trey Hensley and the Moron Brothers. Trey Hensley is a twelve year-old flat-picking guitarist and singer from Limestone, TN. In the past, Trey was a guest of Marty Stuart and Earl Scruggs on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and performed this past summer at Dollywood. |
| The Moron Brothers, Lardo (Mike Carr) and Burly (Mike Hammond), from Muhlenburg County, Kentucky are popular favorites at bluegrass festivals and special events of every description - wherever people enjoy good music and down-home comedy. Their show features many original songs, distinguished by funny lyrics and toe-tapping tunes. They are the writers of the song, “If My Nose Was Running Money,” later recorded by Grand Ole Opry star Mike Snider, and performed by the Snide and the Moron Brothers on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. This concert is sponsored by Tennessee Communications, Bristol Herald Courier, WJHL TV NewsChannel 11, WGOC Radio AM 640, Holiday Inn Bristol Convention Center, and Bryant Label Company. Tickets for the concert are $10 in advance ($12 at the door) and can be purchased at the BCMA museum, lower level of the Bristol Mall, all Morrell Music Stores in the Tri-Cities, Matt Smith’s Music in Abingdon, and the Holiday Inn, Exit 7, Bristol, VA. For more information or credit card orders, call (276) 645-0035. |