Tennessee Mafia Jug Band Archives

Dan Kelly passes

We have learned this morning of the sudden passing Wednesday night of Dan Kelly, fiddler, prominent Nashvillian, and member of the popular act, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band.

Details are few at this point, but we have this statement issued by the band a short time ago…

Dan Kenneth Kelly, long time fiddler with the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band passed away last night from a heart attack. Words can’t accurately describe the shock, sadness and sense of loss we’re all feeling right now. Dan loved playing music and played everyday. His joy was watching the many students he’d teach and show how to play the fiddle. It was something near and dear to his heart. Keep his family in your thoughts and definitely send up a prayer for his sweet wife, Cheryl, to give her strength through the coming days. We’ll meet again on far side bank of Jordan.

Howard Harris with the Grand Master Fiddler Championship shared this memory of Dan…

“Dan won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in 1983, besting one the great fiddlers of all time Jim ‘Texas Shorty’ Chancellor. Dan was a Smokey Mountain Boy joining Roy Acuff after moving to Nashville from Pennsylvania, and was regular in Opryland U.S.A. for many years.

I’ll miss hearing him play Doc Harris Hornpipe.

Dan was a fine man, husband, father, and friend.”

We will update with additional information as it is available.

R.I.P., Dan Kelly.

Tennessee Mafia Jug Band takes Blue Blaze award at Smithville

The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band took home the Blue Blaze Award at the 46th annual Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival. They are the first band to receive the prestigious prize and the fourth recipient of the honor. Darrin Vincent, Sierra Hull, and Danny Roberts of The Grascals are the past winners. Created in 2014, the Fiddler’s Jamboree Blue Blaze Award is given to musicians who actively cultivate a love of bluegrass music.

“What a great privilege it is to get the Blue Blaze award,” Mike Armistead told the crowd. “Even though we did turn the thermostat down, it’s not as blue blazing hot as it normally is in Smithville. Hope you don’t mind. Thank you again. We really do appreciate it. I know it will look really nice on Leroy’s mantle along with all the other awards.”

“Anytime I get an award you better believe I worked for it,” Leroy Troy, said with a laugh during an interview prior to the show.

In addition to Armistead (guitar) and Leroy Troy (banjo), the other band members are fiddler Dan Kelly, Dobro player Mike Webb, and Ernie Sykes. Kent Blanton filled in on bass fiddle for Sykes, who continues to recover from a stroke he suffered in the spring. Sykes still sang and hammed it up in some of the comedy bits during the band’s performance following the awards presentation.

Self-billed as “five guys and a scrub board with roots like wisdom teeth,” the Jug Band captures the old-time Appalachian spirit with their comedy routines and rib-tickling tunes like Too Old to Cut the Mustard, What a Waste of Good Corn Liquor and Slide Them Jugs Down the Mountain.

Bean Blossom 2015 – Day 4

Daniel Mullins will be reporting from the 2015 Bean Blossom Festival all week, as Internet service in the campground allows. Check back each day for his reports and photos.

The fourth day of the 49th Annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival could have been called the week’s “fun day.”

Tuesday’s shows got kicked off with The Punches Family, their first of two days at the historic festival. Delta Reign and their laid back style of acoustic music followed. Though The Moron Brothers capitalize on comedy, don’t sell them short on musical talent. They kept the audience in stitches and in awe with their comedy and talent.

Indiana’s Blue Mafia played to a hometown crowd, but it wouldn’t have mattered if they were playing in Timbuktu — they rocked the house. Their modern, soulful kind of bluegrass, highlighted by the wicked guitar stylings of Tony Wray, were a huge hit. This Hoosier band is surely on the rise.

Adkins & Loudermilk brought a boldness to the stage with the big voices of Dave Adkins and Edgar Loudermilk. Showcasing many original songs, they ensured everyone had a good time with their hard-driving approach.

Chris Jones & The Nightdrivers (or is it Chris Jones & Bluegrass Junction?) accounted for the second, third, and fourth Sirius/XM disc jockeys to visit Bean Blossom this week, as Kyle Cantrell was a guest emcee over the weekend. Chris’ signature voice echoed through “High Lonesome Holler” as the smooth sounds of The Nightdrivers soothed the crowd. Chris was one of several artists who paid tribute to the late Miss Dixie Hall during his sets, to whom this year’s festival is dedicated.

This was the first time I had seen Wildfire following their hiatus, and I was quite impressed. The trio of Robert Hale, Chris Davis, and Greg Luck was very strong, and they made me quite anxious for their upcoming album. An impromptu Wildfire reunion show took place as well, as founding members Phil Leadbetter and Barry Crabtree bum-rushed the stage. Speaking of Crabtree, he was definitely the MVP of the day, as he not only sat in on a few with Wildfire, but also played a combined four sets with Adkins & Loudermilk and Dale Ann Bradley.

The show concluded with the first class entertainment of The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. If you can’t have fun while seeing Leroy Troy and company, then you must hate America. Their original blend of old-time, bluegrass, stringband and early country music is as entertaining of a show as you will ever see. Their show even included a special guest; a member of the Memphis Mafia Jug Band (show promoter Tim Dillman) joined the band for Kansas City Star. I was thoroughly pleased that the band performed my favorite: Ghost Chickens In The Sky. Their playful take on Johnny Cash’s hit, Ghost Riders In The Sky, tells the tale of a flock of ghost chickens seeking revenge on their former farmer, and may be the greatest song of all time.

Day 4 was loads of fun, and I can’t wait to see what Day 5 will bring!

Lester Armistead passes

“Lonesome” Lester Armistead of the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band passed away Friday evening at his home in Goodlettsville TN, from complications of cancer. He was appreciative of being surrounded by his family and music friends who sat and sang to him to the end.

Years ago Lester and his brother Jack performed as a brother duet singing the music of their friends and neighbors, Roy Acuff’s, Smokey Mountain Boys. Since Lester retired from a career in the publishing/printing world, he seriously pursued music with his son Mike Armistead and friend Leroy Troy. Together they formed The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band and appeared from the Grand Ol’ Opry to the Kennedy Center to Marty Stuart’s RFD TV show over the past decade or so. Over the past few years the band has been enjoying wide exposure on the bluegrass festival circuit as far afield as Gaspe Quebec and the Faroe Islands!!

Lester usually manned the jug, but he was also a good banjo picker, guitar man, dancer, and comedian. He was most widely admired for his startling Force Five tenor voice, singing in the style of his heroes Bashful Brother Oswald and Ira Louvin.

Lester recorded several CDs with the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, and one straight bluegrass CD with his son Mike. He loved to entertain and he loved to man the band mercantile — it was hard to resist his sales pitch!

Additionally Lester was known as THE most genial host in the Nashville area. Countless music fans got their introduction to Nashville’s country/bluegrass geography and denizens as guests of Lester Armistead. He has probably driven visitors to Bill Monroe’s farm and Stringbean’s cabin thousands of times.

A Facebook memorial posting by one of Lester’s many dear friends has already used these words, most appropriately, from one of Lester’s “big numbers”:

A jewel here on earth, a jewel in heaven, he’ll brighten the kingdom around God’s great throne…

UPDATE 3:30 p.m. – Arrangements for Lester have been announced.

Sunday May 4, 2014
Visitation at Cole & Garrett in Goodlettsville
127 N Main St, Goodlettsville, TN 37072
2:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Monday May 5, 2014
Visitation at Lester’s home:
8333 Old Springfield Rd Goodlettsville, TN 37072
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Funeral will be held at the home beginning at 2:00 p.m.
(Burial will be at Forest Lawn in Goodlettsville. Pallbearers are: Freddie Armistead, Don Clark, Lee McHenry, Bob Loggins, George Edward Harper, Terry Wilkes.)

In lieu of flowers please make a donation in honor of Lester to the charity of your choice, the Cancer Foundation or Alive Hospice.