2008 Bands

This festival presents a variety of performers and bands of traditional music.

George Hamilton IV

Proclaimed the International Ambassador of Country Music thanks to his performances around the world during the 1970s, George Hamilton IV began his career in the late '50s not as a country artist but as a teen-oriented pop star. After his first hit, "A Rose and a Baby Ruth," hit number six on the pop charts in 1956, he toured with Buddy Holly and the Everly Brothers but cracked the pop Top Ten only one more time. Instead, Hamilton moved to the country charts by 1959, where nine of his hits spent time in the Top Ten, including his only number one, "Abilene."

Photo: Barrie Marshall, The Sunday Post-Dundee, Scotland

Kruger Brothers

The Kruger Brothers from Switzerland have been performing professionally since 1973. Almost twenty years later, after playing together in various formations throughout Europe, Uwe Kruger on guitar, and Jens Kruger on banjo, teamed up with bassist Joel Landsberg to form the band as it appears on stage today.

Photo credit: Cassie Stone

	Robin Kessinger To say that Robin Kessinger is one of the country's leading flatpick guitarists would be quite an understatement. Everyone knows that he won the National Flatpicking Championship, in Winfield Kansas, but few know of all the State Flatpicking Championships walked away with. And most of them multiple times! He holds titles in Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, Best of Tri State (OH, KY & WV) and other contests too numerous to mention.
	Kinney Rorrer Kinney Rorrer lives in Danville, Virginia. He is the author of Ramblin' Blues, a biography about the life of Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers. Kinney plays the banjo in the style of Charlie Poole. Kinney and his brother Doug grew up listening to the music of their uncle Posey Rorer who recorded with Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers. Kirk Suthpin, of Walkertown, North Carolina, studied the fiddle and banjo with the famed North Carolina fiddler Tommy Jarrell. Kirk's music was also highly influenced by Posey Rorer, Frank Jenkins and Taylor Kimble. Kirk has been featured on The National Banjo Tour with Ralph Stanley. The youngest member of the band is Jeremy Stephens, age 16, from Danville, Virginia.
	The Harris Brothers Two brothers who grew up playing music and singing in a musical family in the Foothills of NC are who make up The Harris Brothers. Reggie and Ryan play a wide range of music from Old Time String Band music to Blues, Country, Rock and nearly everything in between! Fans of the Harris Brothers will tell you that each performance is unique and exciting and there's something everyone will like.
	No Speed Limit No Speed Limit has certainly been in the fast lane in regards to their musical careers. So far they have played with The Lonesome River Band, The Del McCoury Band, and have plans to tour with Ralph Stanley in Spring 2007. The newly elected Virginia Governor Tim Kaine requested No Speed Limit to play at his Inaugural Concert this past January; and even joined the band onstage, harmonica in hand, for a rendition of “The Circle Will Be Unbroken.” The band has also played the National Folk Festival and is scheduled to play the American Folk Festival later this year. No Speed Limit have released their debut cd “Bluegrass Lullaby” in July 2005--made possible with the help of the Virginia Foundation for Humanities & The Crooked Road.
	Wayne Henderson and Friends