J.D. Brown and Honey Beans take the stage.

J.d. Brown and Honey Beans took the pickin porch stage this week. They treated the crowd to lots of oldies and even some bluegrass and mountain style music. If you get the chance check out their show!

Chris Hunter hosts the 'Pickin' Porch Show"

Chris Hunter was guest host at tonight's pickin' porch .





Our good friends Ingrid & Danny Szauter stopped by and played a few tunes. They came all the way down from Canada to visit us and the Carter Family Fold.

Ridge Hill visits the Pickin Porch

Ridge Hill visited the Pickin' Porch on Thursday. They came all the way up from South Carolina to pick and sing right here in the heart of the Birthplace of Country Music.





Easy Pickin's was our second band of the night. They also came up from the beautiful state of South Carolina. They played a great mix of bluegrass and gospel music.

Both bands with be back by "the porch" real soon, so if you missed them this time be sure and catch their shows next time they're in the area.

VW Boys at Mayberry Days

Last week marked the 19th annual Mayberry Days. The VW Boys celebrated their 13th year at this fun filled event. They performed at the lovely Downtown Cinema Theatre in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. On their "Snappy Lunch" CD they pay homage to The Andy Griffith Show with an interview with Charles Dowell owner of the Snappy Lunch. You can still buy those world famous pork chop sandwiches there!



David Browning aka Barney Fife is shown here with The VW Boys number one fan "Akers" If you ever followed the Andy Griffith Show, you know Barney was issued only one bullet (it is supposed to stay in his pocket) and he loves to show it off.




Mr Bobby Osborne and his band The Rocky Top X-Press performed at Mayberry Days in the Downtown Cinema Theatre also. He posed for a quick snapshot before going onstage.

Special thanks to Delores Ansutz and the VW Boys for allowing me to use their photos.

Lindsay Mar entertains the crowd

My new friend Lindsay got the thrill of a lifetime Saturday night when he performed on the legendary Carter Fold stage. Lindsay is shown here with his friends, Rod and Judy Jones playing John Brown's Dream. Special thanks to Delores Anshutz for allowing me to use this picture.

Raymond McClain hosts The Carter Family Fold

Raymond McClain was the special guest host at the Carter Family Fold this past Saturday. Raymond's been pickin' and singin' nearly all his life and is currently Director of the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University. Yui Inoue, a former student of Raymond's and her father, Saburo Inoue joined in to sing some Carter Family tunes.

Fall Creek Band

Fall Creek Band from Northeast Tennessee entertained at the Pickin' Porch this week. Bandmembers include 15 year old Savannah Vaughn, Savannah's dad Ronald Vaughn, Janice McCombs, and Audey Ratliff.

Tim White posed with Lindsay Mar. Lindsay is a bluegrass D.J. from Sydney, Australia.

Fire in the Kitchen at the Lincoln Theatre

Fire in the Kitchen, a great Celtic/Appalachian band from the area played at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia on Monday. I wasn't able to take photos during the show so they kindly agreed to let me use one from their website. There were several different performers during the evening, all honoring the visiting dignitaries from Ireland.

Appalachian Trail and Teddy Helton

We had a great group of musicians this past Thursday at the "Pickin' Porch Show". One of my favorite bands, Appalachian Trail stopped by to pick for awhile. Band members include Tommy and Vickie Austin, Allen Hughes and Matthew Cruby. They've got a new album coming out soon and I can't wait.

Our good friend Teddy Helton got together with some of his pals and also put on a great show. Teddy plays bass with the band "Fast Train" and plays guitar, banjo and bass in Fire in the Kitchen. Jason Skinner played banjo for the impromptu group. You can usually find Jason playing banjo in the Skinner Family Band. Elmer Faust played a fantastic harmonica and Matthew Cruby helped out the guys on the guitar. Tommy Shortt was just back from a gig as opening act for the The Kentucky Headhunters and joined in for a couple of tunes.

Mountain Music Museum & Giftshop

Here is a picture of the front of our beautiful Mountain Music Museum and Giftshop in the Bristol Mall. If you love old-time music this place is a must see. We have many hard-to-find cds by artists like Jimmie Rodgers, the Carter Family and the Stoneman Family. We also have exhibits showcasing these wonderful musicians and singers.

Brittany Reilly and Gold Heart

This week Brittany Reilly and Almost Acoustic Band dropped by the Pickin' Porch on Thursday. They came to us by way of Ohio, Florida and North Carolina. They have been playing gigs all over the U.S. this year.

Gold Heart also stopped by the porch this week. They are down this way getting ready to perform at the "Pickin in the Gap" at the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee.

Tim took the stage and held a raffle for tickets to the Song of the Mountains special taping in Marion, Virginia.

My friends James and Cathy posed for a picture during a break from the music.

Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Rambler's

Larry Sparks and his Lonesome Ramblers spent this past Saturday evening performing at the Pickin' Porch on the lower level of the Bristol Mall in Bristol, Virginia.

Larry's "soulful" bluegrass style has been a mainstay in music for many years. He's been a musician since childhood and stepped onto the bluegrass scene in a big way when he joined Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys after the death of Ralph's brother Carter.

Add the Lonesome Ramblers beautiful harmonies and masterful instrumentals you end up with a commanding musical performance.

Larry and the Lonesome Ramblers performed tunes from previous albums, including the lastest "I Don't Regret A Mile" and "The Last Suit You Wear". They also presented songs from the "Bound to Ride", a greatest hits CD. Several bluegrass "standards" were added to the set list including songs Larry performed as a "Clinch Mountain Boy". "Raw Hide", "Kentucky Chimes" and "Cherokee Shuffle" were some of the instrumentals played.

A Larry Sparks show would not be complete without the Stanley Brothers' gospel number "Going Up Home (To Live In Green Pastures)".

Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers paid tribute to the First Family of Country Music, the Carter Family. They treated the crowd to a medley that included "Single Girl/Married Girl" and "You Are My Flower".

Larry left the crowd wanting more but also with the promise that he'd be stopping back by "the porch" one day soon.

The use of these photographs is prohibited without my expressed permission.