Anticipation is high among bluegrass fans as the surviving members of the original IIIrd Tyme Out (Russell Moore, Terry Baucom, Alan Bibey, and Mike Hartgrove) gear up for a reunion show at Camp Springs’ Labor Day Bluegrass Festival on Sunday, September 4. Their performance will take place on the restored grounds where Carlton Haney held the first bluegrass festival in North Carolina back in 1969.
Camp Springs promoter, Cody Johnson, stated, “They’ve only done this (an original IIIrd Tyme Out reunion show) once before at MACC. We’re so excited for the chance to have them do it again. It will be a great show.”
Lead vocalist, Russell Moore, praised Johnson. “Cody has done an awesome job resurrecting Camp Springs, such an iconic park. We watched the videos from the early years. It was a special place for fans and musicians that are now able to go back and just reminisce. For us to do a IIIrd Tyme Out reunion, and playing it at Camp Springs, adds another element of excitement. We’re over the moon to play together again.”
Two-time IBMA mandolin player of the year, Alan Bibey, reflected, “Camp Springs is the first festival my dad ever took me to. I’m pretty sure 1971 was our first time, and over the next few years, I saw J.D. Crowe with Skaggs and Rice, and Boone Creek, as well as so many others. I haven’t gotten to go back since. Now getting to perform there with my band as well as doing an original IIIrd Tyme Out Reunion, along with being at Camp Springs, makes it over the top incredible. The guys in the original band had a very special bond and sound. They will always be my brothers…one of the most special places on earth to me with some of the most special musicians and friends ever.”
Duke of drive, banjoist Terry Baucom, declared, “I am looking forward getting back on stage with these guys and revisit the material from those first two albums. We had some great times and recorded some songs that seem to be standing the test of time. It’s going to be a good time at Camp Springs!”
Bauc’s wife, Cindy, host of the syndicated radio show, Knee Deep in Bluegrass, will emcee the event. She recalled, “I was in the audience for the very first IIIrd Tyme Out show in Dobson, NC. It is awesome to think that more than 30 years later, Terry, Russell, Alan, and Mike can step on stage together to relive the early ’90s…minus the mullets, of course!”
Veteran fiddler, Mike Hartgrove, who has played with the Lonesome River Band for the past 20 years, is eager to rejoin his old band mates on the iconic stage. “I’m looking forward to it. We started (IIIrd Tyme Out) in April 1991, and I was with the band for ten years. It was a real special time to be part of that with real good people. Russell Moore is one of my favorite singers of all time.”
With the passing of bassist, Ray Deaton on June 4, 2019, at just 66 years of age, his presence will be sorely missed by his former band members and fans alike.
Hartgrove reflected, “Ray was a great bass singer. His vocals were distinctive. I never had to ask for a booking because he kept us busy. I’m going to miss him.”
Kevin McKinnon, current 3TO bassist, will be filling the slot left vacant by Deaton.
Just in time for the reunion show, Rebel Records has repackaged IIIrd Tyme Out’s first release from 1991 that included many of their trademark tunes such as Erase the Miles, Moundsville Pen, and Woman Dressed in Scarlet, along with vintage photos of the original IIIrd Tyme Out. It will be available for purchase at the reunion show during the festival.
Camp Springs’ Labor Day Bluegrass Festival is slated for September 2-4, with much more entertainment on tap. The historic park is located at 540 Boone Road, Elon, NC. For more information, visit them online or call 336-213-1944.
