HAMLET — This year, Richmond County Farm-City Week will include a bluegrass music festival at the Cole Auditorium featuring a powerhouse lineup of award-winning bluegrass musicians.

The inaugural Richmond Community College Bluegrass Festival will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, with the following bluegrass bands on tap to perform: Balsam Range, Lonesome River Band and The Burrow Brothers.

“We are excited to be an entertainment destination for Farm-City Week,” Cole Auditorium Director Joey Bennett said. “A bluegrass festival is a perfect supplement for this annual event that highlights the farming community. We have some very well-known and highly entertaining bands lined up to play, and we also will be inviting local talent to take part in this music festival being held at the Cole.”

BALSAM RANGE

Balsam Range is a group of five acoustic musicians and singers from North Carolina. Elements of jazz, country, gospel, swing and old-time music are all infused into the fresh sound of this unique Southern band. The group consists of Tim Surrett, Buddy Melton, Caleb Smith, Darren Nicholson and Marc Pruett.

The band has received awards and honors from the International Bluegrass Music Association including Vocal Group of the Year in 2015 and Entertainer of the Year in 2014. In 2014, Buddy Melton was also named Male Vocalist of the Year, and Tim Surrett received a Mentor Award.

The band’s fifth album, “Five,” made its Billboard debut at No. 4 and remained on the Billboard chart for six weeks. Additionally, Balsam Range consistently leads radio airplay lists with its history of top singles.

LONESOME RIVER BAND

Lonesome River Band has been one of the most popular bluegrass groups since the release of its breakout CD, “Carrying The Tradition,” back in 1991. The group is led by five-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and Virginia Country Music Hall-of-Famer Sammy Shelor.

Backing Shelor are award-winning players and vocalists, including songwriter Brandon Rickman on guitar, Mike Hartgrove on fiddle, Barry Reed on bass and Randy Jones on mandolin and vocals.

The band is celebrating its Billboard Top 10 bluegrass album, “Turn On A Dime.” The album features numerous chart songs, including the hit “Her Love Won’t Turn On A Dime” that reached the No. 1 spot seven times on the Bluegrass Today Top 20.

Lonesome River Band’s enduring career includes 17 albums, three of which were released in 2012 in celebration of the group’s 30th anniversary.

THE BURROWS BROS.

For Adam and Jake Burrows, traditional music is what they love — both the sound and the look. The Burrows Brothers are well-known for their energy, entertainment and hard-driving music.

Adam Burrows has been nicknamed the “Killer” for his aggressive playing style on the guitar or upright bass, and he brings strong and smooth vocals to the duo.

Banjo player Jake Burrows has been compared to J.D. Crowe and Earl Scruggs. He blends his tenor vocals with Adams lead to take listeners back to the brother duets of old. When not playing with The Burrows Brothers, Jake plays and sings with The Kody Norris Show.

ORDERING TICKETS

Tickets to the Richmond Community College Bluegrass Festival are $30 to $45 (price varies for seating options) and can be purchased through the Cole Auditorium box office. Festival-goers who purchase tickets early will receive a $5 discount.

Box office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays. Call the box office at 910-410-1691.

Wylie D. Bell is director of marketing and communications at Richmond Community College.

Contributed photo Adam and Jake Burrows, The Burrows Brothers, are described as true traditionalists to the core. They will perform during the inaugural Richmond Community College Bluegrass Festival on Nov. 21.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_The-Burrows-Brothers_color.jpgContributed photo Adam and Jake Burrows, The Burrows Brothers, are described as true traditionalists to the core. They will perform during the inaugural Richmond Community College Bluegrass Festival on Nov. 21.

By Wylie D. Bell

For the Daily Journal