On February 26, the 15th Annual Leon Kiser Memorial Tribute Concert was held in Bristol, TN at the historic Paramount Theater. The show is produced each year by the Appalachian Cultural Music Association to raise money to fund their Benny Sims and Leon Kiser scholarships for students in the Bluegrass and Old Time Music program at East Tennessee State University.
The show is designed to honor artists and music industry folks from the southern Appalachian region whose contributions to bluegrass, old time and traditional country music are deserving of note.
Honored this year were Roy Webb, Tom Luker, Cousin Zeke Leonard and Jan Kiser. A DVD of the 2/26 show can be ordered from the ACMA web site.
Ricky Skaggs made the trek to Bristol for the concert in support of Roy Webb, whose mandolin he now owns. Webb used this valuable instrument back in 1946 when he first performed on the Farm & Fun Time radio show with Leonard on WCYB.
The Appalachian Cultural Music Association is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization which also maintains the Mountain Music Museum in the Bristol Mall. Admission is free during mall hours.
