Virginia’s Crooked Road, a public/private partnership which utilizes the native folk music and culture of the Appalachian region as a draw for tourism, has announced a focus on the music of the early pioneers of bluegrass music for its 5th annual Mountain of Music Homecoming.
The Homecoming is a 9-day event taking place across 20 communities in southwestern Virginia, featuring 50 concerts and cultural events between June 7-15, 2019. Visitors and locals alike converge on these opportunities to enjoy the music, food, hospitality, and folk arts of the Appalachian people.
Two special groups will be assembled to remember the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, and The Stanley Brothers, natives of the region where the Homecoming is held. The Sons Of Bluegrass will perform twice, a band consisting of former members of Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys – Butch Robins on banjo, Tom Ewing on guitar, Billy Baker on fiddle, and Doug Hutchens on guitar. Mike Compton will join them, as serious a student of Bill’s mandolin style as has ever put pick to string.
There will also be a show by a Stanley Brothers All Star Band featuring Ralph Stanley II, Junior Sisk, Don Rigsby, Dewey Brown, Tommy Brown, and Randall Hibbitts. An entire day will be given over to Remembering Doc, a tribute to the great Doc Watson, encompassing an afternoon storytelling and remembrance session, followed by an evening concert with Doc’s former sidemen Jack Lawrence and T. Michael Coleman, along with Watson’s friends Jeff Little and Wayne Henderson.
A big part of the charm of the Mountains of Music is that these various concerts are held in different cities and towns in the region. Visitors who come for the celebration can drive short distances from one event to another, making new friends and discovering new aspects of Appalachian culture along the way.
The culinary treats of the area is another big part of the draw, with three special food events called Feastivals on the docket. Each promises delights for the eyes and the taste buds together with old time and bluegrass music, and a singular focus on one noted chef at each affair.
Many more bluegrass artists will be highlighted over the 9 days in June, including The Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Lonesome River Band, and many others. Attendees will also be able to see a number of artists unknown to them, who work primarily in this part of the state.
A complete list of music, food, and cultural events that will take place as a part of the 2019 Mountains Of Music Homecoming can be found online.
Bluegrass Today is proud to be a co-sponsor of this special celebration.
