New members announced for Country Gentlemen Tribute Band

The Country Gentlemen Tribute Band has announced two new members, replacing reso-guitarist Geoff Gay and bass player Eric Troutman, who recently left the group.

Founding member Darren Beachley is returning to the band, playing dobro. He was part of the original jam that led to the band getting started back in 2005. It was Beachley, Dave Probst, and actual Country Gentlemen legend Bill Yates at the Cabin Fever festival in Hampton, VA. After spending several hours singing Gentlemen classics in honor of Charlie Waller, who had died a few months earlier, they decided to record a tribute album, and the band was formed when Mike Phipps came aboard in the Charlie Waller role.

With the recording being so well received, they began touring as Bill Yates & The Country Gentlemen Tribute Band, and have continued on in his stead since his passing.

Mike says that they are very pleased to have Darren back with the band.

“Darren left the band around 2009, keeping a busy schedule with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and afterwards, forming Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac. Recently, he released a new recording, The Road Not Taken, on the Turnberry label. We look forward to having Darren back with us once again.”

Kyle Windbeck will be on bass, following the retirement of Sideline where he had been playing.

His addition is a full circle moment for Phipps.

“Kyle comes to the band having played with Sideline for well over a year now. I’ve known Kyle since he was a young tyke. I was playing mandolin with Jay Armsworthy and Eastern Tradition with Kyle’s dad, Ken Windbeck, on banjo. Ken would bring Kyle to some of our gigs and Kyle would come on stage wearing his cowboy hat and strumming his toy guitar. Twenty years later he has become an accomplished musician and a fine young man. He’ll be a great addition to the band.”

A new Country Gentlemen Tribute Band album is expected in the near future from Patuxent Records.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.