Following last year’s announcement from founding member Dale Ann Bradley that she was leaving the group, bluegrass powerhouse Sister Sadie has named a new member, and brought a long serving sub into the fold as well.
Celebrated young vocalist Jaelee Roberts will come in on guitar, filling a very large pair of shoes, and bassist Hasee Ciaccio, who has been touring with the Sisters for some time, is welcomed aboard as a full member.
Speaking for the group, founders Tina Adair (mandolin), Gena Britt (banjo), and Deanie Richardson (fiddle) shared this joint statement.
“We couldn’t be more excited to announce that Hasee Ciaccio (who has been playing shows with us for almost two years now) and Jaelee Roberts will be officially joining Sister Sadie! We feel these two ladies add a whole new dynamic, excitement, and sound to the band, and are looking forward to creating music with them. Both are talented beyond their years. Their energy and drive is simply infectious and we couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement.
Thanks to all of our fans and friends for your love and support of Sister Sadie, and for patiently awaiting this news. We love you all.”
Sister Sadie will be featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, set to open on Friday, March 12, 2021. The exhibit will remain open through February 6 of next year, with artifacts from more than a dozen artists.
Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, says that they are happy to include Sister Sadie in this year’s exhibit. “As a museum, we document and report on country music history – past and present. Each year through the American Currents: State of the Music exhibit, we explore the music and events that helped to shape it. Amid a global health crisis, a renewed push for social justice, and more, the powerful role of country music and the stories told through it remained constant.”
Jaelee reports being a bit overwhelmed to be joining such an awarded and celebrated outfit only a year or so into her professional career.
“I can hardly express how thankful and honored I am to have this opportunity to play guitar and sing with Sister Sadie. I look up to each of these women as individual artists, and to actually be in a band with my mentors really is a dream come true! Sister Sadie has accomplished so much…they are the very first all-female IBMA Entertainers of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year…WOW. I am so ready to learn from and stand beside these ladies that absolutely kick butt in bluegrass music!”
For Hasee, a 2010 graduate from the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University, being included as a full member is an affirming step.
“Playing with Sister Sadie has brought joy, laughter, love, and purpose to my life over the course of the last two years. I have so much gratitude for their inclusion and the way they have welcomed me into their Sisterhood with a seat at their table. It’s an honor to be included in this stellar lineup of serious female players, and the feeling we create together onstage is magnetic, electrifying, and empowering. I’m truly proud of what we’ve accomplished as a unit, and I’m excited about the band’s path going forward. I think we’re all fired up for this next chapter, and we can’t wait to get back onstage where we feel most at home.”
As Hasee suggests, all of the ladies of Sister Sadie are eager to get back out on the road where they can play and sing for their loyal fans once again soon. Keep an eye on their web site for new dates as they are announced for 2021 and beyond.
