'Appalachia in the Bluegrass' Welcomes Lee 'Boy' Sexton, Red State Ramblers
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2014) – Locals and legends seem to be the theme of the next two performances in the "Appalachia in the Bluegrass" concert series. On Friday, Sept. 12, Letcher County native, Lee "Boy" Sexton, known for his legendary banjo music, and his son Johnny Sexton will perform. The next Friday, Sept. 19, an old time music group with University of Kentucky ties, The Red State Ramblers, will appear. Both free public concerts will take place at noon at the Niles Gallery, located in the Lucille C. Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center.
Master of the Banjo Back for More
[youtube]
Lee "Boy" Sexton performs "Whoa Mule." Video courtesy of Appalshop.
Lee "Boy" Sexton has played the banjo since he was eight-years-old and has been known for the sweet yet driving sound that comes from the banjo and fiddle ever since. Working in the mines on the weekend and playing music for the town was where he liked to spend most of his time.
Sexton worked on an LP of traditional material, "Whoa Mule," which was originally released in 1988, but later released in a CD version in 2004. He is one of the most respected and admired folk musicians in Eastern Kentucky. He even had a small role in the film "Coal Miner's Daughter," where he played the banjo at a square dance. In 1999, Sexton, was presented the Kentucky Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.
Joining Sexton in concert will be his son, Johnny Sexton, on guitar. Johnny is retired from the coal industry and is an Old Regular Baptist preacher.
To hear Sexton perform "Whoa Mule," visit http://youtu.be/pwJbfL7VTfY.
Blue School Ties, Red State Sound
This old time string band came together through a shared love for folk music and the state of Kentucky at UK. The Red State Ramblers blend a sound of traditional old time music with a native feel.
The Red State Ramblers have performed all over the world, participating in tours in Kyrgyzstan and Ecuador. In 2008, the Red State Ramblers was a finalist in the string band competition at Clifftop Old Time String Band Festival.
The band, Will Bacon (banjo and kazoo), Kevin Kehrberg (bass, guitar),Jeff Keith (mandolin and guitar), Nikos Pappas (fiddle), and Ron Pen (fiddle and piano), released their second recording, “Commonwealth,” based on traditional music of Kentucky.
The Red State Ramblers is made up of alumni and a faculty member. Presently Keith and Kehrberg serve as faculty at Warren Wilson College and Pappas is a member of the faculty at University of Alabama. Bacon is the owner of the contracting firm, BaConstruction. Pen is director of the concert series host, the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music and professor of music at UK School of Music.
The “Appalachia in the Bluegrass” concert series celebrates the old-time roots of American folk music by featuring a diverse range of traditional musical expression. The concert series will showcase 13 different artists, duos and groups from southern Appalachia ranging from artists straight off their front porch to those who have earned international acclaim. The concert series is generously presented by the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music, a collaborative research and performance center maintained by the UK College of Fine Arts, UK School of Music and UK Libraries.
For more information on the “Appalachia in the Bluegrass” concert series or the concerts featuring Lee "Boy" and Johnny Sexton or The Red State Ramblers, contact Ron Pen, director of the Niles Center, by email to Ron.Pen@uky.edu or visit the website at http://finearts.uky.edu/music/niles.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu
