Calder Baker represents at Zellie’s Opry House

Zellie’s Opry House in Howard City, Michigan (5/14/16) - photo © Bill WarrenZellie’s Opry House is in Howard City, Michigan and is owned and operated by Terri and Keith Grannis. Keith mans the ticket booth and the sound board, and Terri is the emcee. They brought a group of current and former music students in from the Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music Studies program at ETSU to play to a full house for Saturday night’s show. One of the students, Calder Baker, is from Howard City and had previously performed with the school’s Pride Band.

Terri and the students kicked off the show with a question and answer session. Mandolin player, Troy Boone, had the best answer of the evening when asked when he started playing, “Last night.” Most of these youngsters started playing at around six years old.

Zellie’s presents an old time country show in October. Terri introduced her co-director for the show, Gary Fountain. Keith and Terri introduced new Opry House t-shirts to the audience.

The band consisted of James Story on guitar, Matt Wright on bass, Troy Boone on mandolin, Sarah Logan on fiddle, and Calder Baker on banjo. They invited Terri up to sing with them. Calder, Terri, and Missy Armstrong, lead singer of the Detour bluegrass band,  played together in a local band at one time.

The band also invited Missy to join them and Terri to sing one of the old band’s songs, Traveling the Highway Home. Zellie’s will host Michigan’s own New County Grass on June 4th.