This past week, the bluegrass world was saddened by news of the death of one of its finest young men. Eugene Crabtree, banjo player for the James King Band and East Virginia Boys, died suddenly of a heart attack. Eugene was the son of Doug Crabtree, one of the finest sound men in the business, and we mourn Eugene's passing. He was a fine player and a fine young man, and he will be greatly missed.

  Eugene did not have health nor life insurance, and we in the bluegrass community want to do our part to help his family as much as we can. Plans are being made for Saturday, July 19, at the Gloucester Moose Lodge, Gloucester VA, for a benefit "pickin' party" in memory of Eugene.Scheduled to perform as of this time are Northridge, Code Blue, and The James King Band. Talks are under way,as I understand it, with Ray Deaton and Anita Fischer as well as IIIrd Tyme Out, but as of this post these two bands have not been confirmed.This won't be a "festival", but a" pickin' party "for all those who want to come and pick to honor Eugene's memory or just to listen to the music he loved.

Plans now are for it to be a covered-dish affair with donations strongly encouraged. As more details become available, I'll post them here.Please come out and help support our friend's family in their time of loss.

 Rest in peace, Eugene...we'll miss you.
 

   Howdy friends and neighbors!

 

 Hope this finds all well and I hope that each of you had a great weekend.

  This past Sunday, we were at Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Amelia, VA, along with the Sandy Creek Bluegrass Gospel Band as well as the James King Band. We had a great turnout, and we appreciate each and every one that came out to hear us. It was a joy to do an all-gospel show, and we thank everyone that had a hand in making it happen. We look forward to doing this again in the fall and we will keep you posted

 

  Please join us on Saturday, May 17, in Crewe, VA, for the annual Crewe Homecoming Event. There will be arts and crafts, food, and vendors galore, as well as a performance by Northridge sometime around midday. As soon as I have the exact times, I'll post again so y'all can mark 'er down.
 

 

 

 That same weekend, The Central Virginia Family Bluegrass Festival is going on in Amelia, VA and it's always a dandy. We won't be performing, but we'll be there jammin', so come on out and shake and howdy. Amelia has always been one of my favorite festivals for parkin' lot pickin', and we hope to see you there, too.You can find out more by logging on to www.ameliafamilycampgrounds.com

  'Til next we meet, take care, God bless, and we hope to see each of you real soon.

 

 Harrison
 

  

 

 

  
 

  A warm and hearty welcome to all!

  Hope this finds everyone well and ready for the warm spring weather just over the horizon. We are certainly looking forward to some warm, sunny days and those mild spring nights made just for pickin'!

  We wanted to let everyone know about the gospel show we have coming up this  Sunday, April 13, at Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Jetersville, VA. We'll be joining the Sandy Creek Gospel Bluegrass Band, along with The James King Band for a "Sunday afternoon on the grounds". This promises to be a great afternoon of bluegrass gospel music, so we hope you all can join us.

 We are very pleased to welcome a special guest for the show this weekend. Chris Gillikin is a top-notch fiddle player and all-around fine musician, and we are really excited about having him join us.

Tickets for Sunday's show are $12.00 and may be purchased by calling the church .The address and phone number are posted below, and you can get directions on either GoogleMaps or Mapquest. I would be happy to give them to you, but anyone that knows me knows I can get MYSELF where I am going, but I get everyone else lost.

 We look forward to seeing you as always. Til next we meet, take care, God bless, and come see us when you can.

 Harrison

 

 Contact information for Sandy Creek Baptist Church:

 26501 Selma Road

Jetersville VA.

Telephone: 804-561-3690 

 

 

 

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