Sons of the South is a Traditional Bluegrass Band located in the Western and Central Piedmont of North Carolina. The band has been in existence for over 50 years. Over the years, the band members have changed but the traditional Bluegrass songs, tight harmony and professional instrument work has been a mainstay for the band. The band has been described as being a “polished” and “professional” band with a “natural stage presence”. SOS has opened for numerous groups including Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. They continue to be crowd favorites wherever they play, delivering their own hard driving and heartfelt style of bluegrass music, performing traditional as well original material.
Current band members include: Michael Souther (banjo), Gary Isenhour (guitar), Connor Lambert (mandolin), Franklin Rash (bass) and Rick Lowe (fiddle).
AWARDS:
• 1st place bluegrass band, Yadkinville Fiddler’s Convention, 2008
• 1st place bluegrass band, Seagrove Fiddler’s Convention, 2010
• 1st place bluegrass band, Star Fiddler’s Convention, 2010
• 3rd place Allegheny Fiddler’s Convention, 2010
• 3rd place bluegrass band, Allegheny Fiddlers Convention, 2011
• 3rd place Allegheny Fiddler’s Convention, 2012
• 1st place bluegrass band, Yadkinville Fiddler’s Convention, 2014
• 4th place bluegrass band, Galax Fiddler’s Convention, 2014
• 1st place bluegrass band, Yadkinville Fiddler’s Convention, 2015
• 1st place bluegrass band, Granite Quarry Fiddler’s Convention, 2015
• 1st place bluegrass band, Galax Fiddler’s Convention, 2015
• 3rd place Allegheny Fiddler’s Convention, 2015
• 1st place bluegrass band competition, Got To Be NC Festival, Raleigh, NC 2016

POPULAR VENUES:

• Sim’s Country BBQ
• Debbie’s (formerly Reddings Country Kitchen)
• Mt. Gilead Music Barn
• Fletcher Feed and Seed
• B.J.’s (formerly Sheffield Music Hall)

CONCERTS/SHOWS/BENEFITS

• Historic Earle Theater, Mt Airy
• 3b Festival, Union Grove, NC
• Old Time Fiddler’s Convention/ Bluegrass Festival, Union Grove, NC
• Brushy Mtn Apple Festival, N. Wilkesboro, NC
• IBMA, Raleigh, NC (Wide Open Bluegrass Street Festival)
• Merlefest, Wilkesboro, NC
• Pennington & Mastin Memorial Festival, Fairview Ruritan, Galax, VA
• NC StateFair, Raleigh, NC
• Preddyfest, Franklinton, NC

Sons of the South enjoy playing at events, private parties, churches, benefits and Ruritan Banquets.

BAND MEMBER INFORMATION:

Michael Souther, a long standing member of Sons of the South, states “The Sons of the South was founded in the 1950’s with Avery Aiken on banjo and my father, Luther Souther, on guitar. The band came back together in the 1980’s with Tommy Killian playing the fiddle and singing tenor and lead. Luther Souther would play bass and sing baritone. Gary Isenhour played guitar, sang lead and tenor. My name is Michael Souther and I would try to play banjo and sing lead, baritone and tenor. I was blessed to play with these great men over the next thirty years. The band has had many members who have come and gone, but all are family to me.”

Gary Isenhour lives in Stony Point, NC. Gary’s soulful voice, coupled with his hard-driving flat-picking style, is a true asset to Sons of the South. He has played with various bands throughout the area including Dewey Farmer and Powder Creek, Harold Killian and the Catawba River Boys as well as the popular Dry Run Bluegrass Band. Gary played a short time with LW Lambert and The Blue River Boys. He played with the Sons of the South from 1989-1999 and proudly re-joined the band in January of this year. He has won numerous accolades for his talents, including awards at Galax, VA and multiple other fiddlers’ conventions. Gary has opened for such greats as the Country Gentlemen, Bobby Hicks, Blue Highway, and the Jeanette Williams Band. When not working his normal job and performing with Sons of the South, Gary enjoys cruising the back roads on his motorcycle with his wife, Maria.

Connor Lambert lives in Troutman, NC. Connor is a widely traveled musician, having played mandolin for nearly 40 years. He comes from a musical family, having traveled and played music with his father, the late Garland Lambert. Connor is also the pastor at Troutman Church of God. Lambert has recorded with many different people over his career. He sings lead and harmony vocals with Sons of the South and is truly a “wonderful human-being”.
Franklin Rash is originally from Union Grove, NC. He comes from a musical family and background. He has been involved with bluegrass music since childhood and has performed with friends, family as well as other musicians. Rash has performed with organized musical groups including: Grass Vibrations (family band), Murphy Brothers with L.W. Lambert and L.W. Lambert & The Blue River Boys. He began performing with Sons of the South in December 2013. Rash provides a solid foundation for all of Sons of the South music.

Rick Lowe joined the band in 2015. He is a great guy and an very talented fiddle player. Rick was born and raised in High Point, NC. Early exposures to music included singing in a church boys’ choir and playing violin in his school string program. During high school, Rick participated in the all-state orchestra and was selected to attend the orchestra program at the NC Governor’s School. He began playing bluegrass at Furman University as a founding member of Gritz. After college, Rick played one season in the Carowinds Bluegrass Band, where he began playing mandolin. He moved to Winston-Salem, NC in 1980 to perform with Boot Hill. There he met his wife, Marty, and began a career as an actuary and retirement consultant, eventually retiring from Aon Hewitt as a Senior Vice President in 2011. Rick has been performing bluegrass music with several bands for more than 40 years, playing fiddle and mandolin and singing lead and harmony. He has won several prizes at fiddler’s conventions over the years. Playing fiddle with the Deer Creek Boys, he was part of the first place bluegrass band at the 2007 Galax Fiddlers Convention

Website: www.sonsofthesouthbluegrassband.com
Instragram: @sosbluegrass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SOSBluegrass/

BOOKING INFO: C. Lambert 704-928-8918
M. Souther 704-878-2609
* Carol McDuffie recommends you view the video’s from Raleigh on her youtube page: Lovin’ Bluegrass. (Hills of Home/ Little Georgia Rose)