The Slate Mountain Ramblers + The Zephyr Lightning Bolts

The Slate Mountain Ramblers are another of the premier contemporary, family based string bands of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Slate Mountain Ramblers, well known for their traditional take on many classic old-time mountain music songs and from playing dances in Southwest Virginia and Northwest North Carolina, features the fiddler Richard Bowman, bassist Barbara Bowman, and daughter Marsha Todd on banjo and Marsha’s husband Marty Todd on guitar.

The Zephyr Lightning Bolts are one of the poplar, family-based, string bands that carry one the old-time and American music traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountain region. The Zephry Lightning Bolts feature bassist Steve Bowen, banjo picker Diane Bowen, and their son, Jacob Bowen, on fiddle. Thornton and Emily Spencer of Whitetop Mountain Band have both been important fiddle instructors for Jacob. Jacob is also an avid collector of old-time music and has been greatly influenced by the late mountain fiddler legends Albert Hash. G.B Grayson, Rafe Brady, Eck Robertson. Rounding out the band is guitarist Chester McMillian. Chester has played old-time music for several decades and performed with legendy Round Peak, NC musicians Tommy Jarrell, Kyle Creed, Whit Sizemore, Benton Flippin, Fred Cockerham, and others. McMillian was awarded the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award in 2013, which acknowledges lifetime achievement in furthering cultural traditions in North Carolina.