Friends and fans of the Stanley sound celebrated in a big way at the Dr. Ralph Stanley Hills of Home Festival this past Memorial Day weekend. The four day event, which took place from Wednesday, May 20th through Saturday, May 23rd, hosted over 20 bands. The 55th annual celebration was quite a success.
Fans of the Clinch Mountain sound traveled from all over the United States to attend the festival. I saw license plates from all over the United States – Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, and more. I even heard of a couple visitors who had travelled from the United Kingdom to take in the festivities!
The band lineup provided listeners with a good mixture of music. From festival openers, the Tweed, Marty, and Danny Davis Band, to the closers, The Whites, the band lineup was a blend of traditional and contemporary-leaning music.
One particular highlight of the weekend was seeing Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers. Sparks is a singing machine, and still has plenty of the swagger fans have come to expect. The band featured Dee Sparks on bass, Luke Munday on banjo, and Jeff Brown on mandolin. Brown’s voice fits Larry’s like a glove and it was great to hear the two of them singing together again.
The Whites, of Grand Ole Opry fame, also gave a stellar performance as they closed the event. Although they don’t regularly tour much these days, they put on a great show. I’ve still got their hit Pins and Needles stuck in my head days later. Their longtime resophonic guitar player, Josh Matheny, and luthier and mandolinist David Harvey joined them for the performance. Although it was certainly sad not to see and hear patriarch Buck White on stage, Harvey’s part of the show was a great homage to his memory.
I should also mention that it’s become a tradition for Blueridge to give a guitar to a former Clinch Mountain Boy during the festivities. This year, longtime Clinch Mountain Boy and bus driver Randall Hibbitts received the honor.
Rainy weather may have kept away some concertgoers, but overall the festival was still well attended. By all reports, the parking lot picking was also excellent.
The Clinch Mountain Mafia, the crew who help manage the festival grounds, were extremely helpful, as well. They’re a great bunch of folks!
For more information about the annual festival, please visit them online.
