High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday, March 26, 2023 @ 2:30 PM

Stonefield Cellars Winery

8220 NC Highway 68

Stokesdale, NC

Featuring:

Paula Dellenback and Fox River

Paula Dellenback & Fox River is a group born from the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia. This band formed from a musically rich area, near the state’s heritage music trail “The Crooked Road”. With a style of their own, they bring a mixture of original material, traditional and progressive bluegrass, and Americana music. This group has appeared in numerous festivals and venues including Song of the Mountains, IBMA World of Bluegrass, Reeves Theater, Heartwood, Blackmon Amphitheater, and more.

John Cox is from Greensboro NC and now lives in Randleman with his wife Stephanie. John and Stephanie were married just last year. John has a beautiful talent on the mandolin and guitar. He considers himself as “playing for fun”, but his skill is one of professional quality. John has played in many bands, participated in festivals, and along with his musicianship, offers lead and harmony vocals.

Paula Dellenback is a lead vocalist and an award winning songwriter. Along with others this past year, Paula was recognized from her county at the IBMA’s “Women of Bluegrass” showcase. Paula has two projects available, “The Crooked Road” and “Never Known” and both are played on radio stations around the world. She and band members Charlie Milliron and Steve Farmer also have a band named The Dell Iron Project where they play a mix of acoustic rock, country, bluegrass covers and their own original songs.

Steve Farmer is a lifelong resident of Floyd County Virginia and currently lives there with his wife of thirty seven years, Barbara Farmer. He grew up learning music from his mother who played guitar and his sister who played piano. Steve sings harmony and plays guitar and the doghouse bass. He likes all kinds of music and enjoys going to festivals and jamming with other musicians. He has played at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival, Floyd Store, Autumn Leaves Festival, Primland Resort, Wineries and more. Steve has been in several bands and is a joy to be around.

Charlie Milliron was born and raised in the “moonshine capital of the world”, Franklin County, Virginia. He has been in numerous bands, has beautiful lead skill on guitar, and is an award winning dobro player. He sings lead and harmony and is a great songwriter with numerous songs in the making at all times. He has performed with bands at the Harvester Performance Center, the Early Inn, the Grand Oak Pavilion, Primland Resort, and festivals to name a few. Charlie enjoys helping young folks learn how to play music. Many of them are skillful rising musicians because of his efforts.

Glenn Paschal was raised in Reidsville NC by Rogers and Shelby Paschall who are a very well known musician and singer in the area. He is married to Mylinda and they live in Surf City NC. They recently bought a home in the Virginia mountains. Glenn is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist on the banjo, guitar and doghouse bass. He has played in many configurations of bands throughout the years and is a fill-in player when needed easily fitting in where needed. He enjoys many styles of music, including bluegrass, traditional old-time, and rock-n-roll.

High Lonesome Strings Monthly Meeting

Sunday, February 26, 2023 – 2:30 PM

Stonefield Cellars Winery
8220 NC Highway 68 N
Stokesdale, NC

Featuring:

Cornbread Revival

Cornbread Revival was born out of a group of bluegrass musicians picking in Grandma’s garage about 21 years ago. The name is to pay homage to Flatt & Scruggs and their connection to The Martha White Flour radio and TV shows from years past. Through the years there has been about eight different members of the group. The band has played many private functions with appearances at DeweyFest and Lil Johns bluegrass festivals. As the saying goes, Bluegrass Forever!

Mike Aldridge is well known in the bluegrass world. He started his career at the early age of 12 with “The Country Boys” near Chapel Hill. He has over 50 years of performances with AL Wood, Al Batten, Bass Mtn. Boys ,Tommy Edwards and various other bands. His ability on mandolin , stage presence and blending with lead, harmony or tenor gives any group a great sound.

Mike McCollum first encountered bluegrass in 1972 at the Camp Springs Festival in Caswell county. From that point on bluegrass was the only music in his world. Now after many appearances ,jam sessions and festivals the desire to continue learning, playing guitar, and singing has never wavered .

Tim Mendenhall grew up learning to play guitar at age 11 with his twin brother Tom in Siler City, NC taking lessons from Eugene Craven. After a couple years, he started taking banjo lessons from Jerry Stuart, who also taught his brother mandolin at the same time. Tim then moved to taking lessons from Gary Williamson to learn Scruggs style playing. As they progressed, they started their first band called “The Balsam Gap Boys” playing churches, fiddler’s conventions, retirement homes, early Bass Mountain and Camp Springs Bluegrass festivals and local outings. They teamed up with Jerry’s son, Doug Stuart which eventually led to them getting an audition for Bill Monroe at “The Big O Jamboree” in Graham, NC, where they were invited by Bill to perform at The Grand Ole Opry. In November of 1979, they performed during a matinee bluegrass show at the Opry with Bill Monroe, Jim & Jesse, Bluegrass Cardinals, and others.  Over the years while attending college, Tim and his brother Tom formed the band Hickory Wind with Vernon Allred, Mike Cochran, and Paul Kiteck while attending college. They were fortunate to win the Pizza Hut Band Competition at the Denton Bluegrass Festival. The prize for winning was to perform the next year as paid performers at the Denton Bluegrass Festival in ’82. (the same year The Bluegrass Album band made its debut with Tony Rice). Over the years Tim has played banjo with the original configuration of Nu-Blu (out of Siler City) and a year with Fisher & Co along with buddy Wayne Joyce. Over the last 20 years, Tim has played on and off with “Sassafrass” Bluegrass band out of Wilkesboro, NC with Wes Tuttle and Randy Gamble and locally with “Cornbread Revival” in the last 10-12 years with Mike McCollum and the late Dave Osborne (and now with Mike Aldridge on mandolin). Tim enjoys listening to bluegrass as much as he does performing, and is re-visiting collecting old bluegrass vinyl LP’s like he did as a teenager. Tim’s early heroes on banjo were Earl Scruggs, JD Crowe, and Terry Baucom along with many newer heroes in the banjo world.

Jeff Rumsey’s Grandmother started him out on the piano at a young age. He played music in school bands through his senior year in high school. After graduating, he attended Bluegrass festivals, and like many Bluegrass fans, he started playing banjo and guitar. In 2000, he was at a local jam that had plenty of banjo and guitar talent but no bass player, so he played the house bass that night and has been playing upright bass ever since. He found out quickly that good upright bass players are hard to come by and in high demand. He has played at most North Carolina Bluegrass festivals including Merlefest and the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh. Currently he is playing with two local bluegrass bands doing around 45 shows a year and filling in with others whenever the opportunity arises.

 

High Lonesome Strings Christmas Party

Saturday, December 3, 2022 – 6 PM

Mt Hope United Church of Christ
2400 Mt Hope Church Road
Whitsett, NC

Featuring:

The Mark Templeton Band is a “High Energy” Bluegrass & Bluegrass Gospel group that are known for their harmony, musicianship and knowing how to entertain an audience.

Mark Templeton put this group together in 1990. Even though the members have changed some through the years Mark always makes sure that each member is a seasoned musician and singer in bluegrass and Gospel music.

MTB performs 40-50 dates a year in NC, VA, SC, GA, PA, MD, TN, OH, KY, DE. Some of the places we have performed Graves Mountain, Amelia BG, Preddyfest, SPBGMA, IBMA, Mr. B’s BG, Myrtle Beach BG, Christmas In The Smokies, Poppy Mountain, Arcadia BG, Stoney Creek BG, Melfest BG, Mineral BG, Grottoes BG, Bass Mountain BG and many, many more! Plus 100’s of Churches and Concert Halls…

Recently appeared on PBS SONG OF THE MOUNTAINS….

MTB has performed with Seldom Scene, Rhonda Vincent, Daily & Vincent, Lonesome River Band, Country Gentlemen, Blue Highway, Balsam Range, Little Roy & Lizzy, Ralph Stanley, Doyle Lawson, Paul Williams, Bobby Osborne, Third Time Out and the list goes on and on….

MTB has won or been nominated for many awards including:

• 2014 ACMA Entertainers Of The Year
• 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 SPBGMA Bluegrass Gospel Group Of The Year (Nominees)
• 2014 SPBGMA Mark Templeton Banjo Player Of The Year (Nominee)

Current Band Members:

• Mark Templeton – banjo, guitar, mandolin, vocals
• Karen Webb – mandolin, vocals
• Tony Hensley – Dobro, vocals
• Jim Eanes – guitar, vocals

High Lonesome Strings October Camp n’ Pick

Join us for the High Lonesome Strings Fall Camp & Pick at Hagan-Stone Park, October 7- 9, 2022!

Hagan-Stone Park is a great central location for us to gather and it has been our Camp & Pick site in years past (the park is located at 5920 Hagan-Stone Park Rd, Pleasant Garden NC).We are so looking forward to gathering once again for no other reason than to have relaxed fellowship, to share music, and enjoy the cooler time of year.

Whether you camp overnight or come for a few hours, we welcome you!

Make your camping reservations now at http://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/county-parks/camping

Camping spots are still available in Sections C and B (in the woods). 

Schedule:

10/7/22 Friday day/night – campground jamming (at campsites and/or C section pavilion)

10/8/22 Saturday – 5:30 pm ish – POTLUCK Dinner at the C Section Pavilion, followed by (possible band performance – Band TBD) and then more jamming! Note:  If you are a band that would be interested in playing Saturday evening please contact Elizabeth Greeson asap at 336-687-3131.

10/9/22 Sunday – 10:00 am – Gospel singing/jam at the C Section Pavilion

Any general questions or to RSVP for the Potluck (so we can coordinate food) please contact Natalie at 336-689-4071.

High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Jam

Sunday, September 25, 2022 – 2:30 to 4:30pm

Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market
2914 Sandy Ridge Road
Colfax NC, 27401

You and your friends are invited to come and spend your afternoon with High Lonesome Strings playing and listening to bluegrass music at the Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market. Bring your bluegrass instrument and come play and sing along. The jam will be outside, so be sure to bring your lawn chairs. Y’all come!