Traditional Bluegrass at its Finest

Junior Sisk is widely recognized as one of today's top bluegrass vocalists and is a constant reminder that traditional bluegrass is still alive and well. A longtime resident of the Virginia Blue Ridge, his bluegrass pedigree runs deep.

Junior Sisk, Guitar and Vocals

A longtime resident of the Virginia Blue Ridge, his bluegrass pedigree runs deep. Influenced by a father who wrote songs and played guitar and a mother who sang, Sisk first learned to play around age 14.

His early influences included The Stanley Brothers, Larry Sparks, and Dave Evans, but he often credits the Johnson Mountain Boys with inspiring him to pursue bluegrass professionally. Sisk first made his mark in bluegrass as a songwriter in the early 1990s, penning classic Lonesome River Band songs like "Game (I Can't Win)" and "Tears Are Blinding Me."

Solidifying the success of the latest album, Junior Sisk has received a landslide of nominations in the IBMA Awards for 2021, including Album Of The Year, for LOAD THE WAGON, Song Of The Year, for "Just Load The Wagon" and Male Vocalist Of The Year.

Heather Berry Mabe, Guitar and Vocals

Heather Berry-Mabe, born and raised in Sherando, Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, grew up playing and singing bluegrass, folk, country, and gospel music. Over the years she has recorded several albums including two for Tom T. & the late Miss Dixie Hall's label, Blue Circle Records. She has sang all over the country at many different venues including the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. A two time IBMA award winner for her work with the Daughters of Bluegrass, and a two time SPBGMA female vocalist of the year nominee, Heather has been gifted with a "mountain clear voice," to quote Miss Dixie Hall.

Tony Mabe, Banjo, Guitar, and Vocals

Tony Mabe Jr. resides with his wife Heather in his hometown of Walnut Cove, North Carolina. He has been playing music since the age of six, when he pecked out his first hymn on the piano with no instruction whatsoever. Since that time he's mastered many instruments including the piano, bluegrass and clawhammer style banjo, acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bass, and trumpet. He has won and placed numerous times at fiddlers conventions with his banjo, including his second place prize at the Allegheny Fiddlers Convention in the clawhammer category in 2010, and third place at the Galax Fiddlers Convention on bluegrass banjo in 2011. His musicianship is exceptional and first class and his vocals are soulful and pure.

Jonathan Dillon, Mandolin, Vocals

Junior Sisk often refers to his mandolin player and harmony vocalist, Jonathon Dillon, as his “right hand man.” Dillon has been with Junior the longest, having played with him for many years with the Rambler’s Choice band and to this current day. Jonathan was raised and still lives in Wirtz, VA. and began playing music at the age of 7. As a super skilled instrumentalist, he plays Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, and Bass. He performed locally with The Jonathan Dillon Band until 2010, when he joined Michelle Nixon & Drive, at the age of 15. He worked with Michelle for 3 years and appears on the album "A Place I Belong." In 2013, he joined Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice and recorded with the band on three albums, Trouble Follows Me, Poor Boy's Pleasure, and The Mountains are Calling Me Home.

Curt Love, Bass

Curt Love was 3 years old when he heard bluegrass for the first time. It was at a IIIrd Tyme Out concert and until then, he didn’t really care for music. But that soon changed and he fell in love with bluegrass. At 8 years old, Curt got a mandolin from his great uncle and tried to learn to play it although he says, he was never very good. One of Bill Monroe’s former banjo players, Bill Simpson, helped him learn a great deal on it and gave him some pointers when he decided to start learning the banjo later on. Thirteen year old Love, bought his first banjo and played it all the time. Over time, Love picked up on playing bass and guitar as well, and another talented, multi-instrumentalist from North Carolina was born. Curt Love has played banjo in a few local and done some fill in work for bands playing bass, but The Junior Sisk Band will be his first full time bass gig.

Doug Barlett, Fiddle, Vocals

Doug Bartlett is a well respected seasoned veteran on the bluegrass music circuit. Doug has cut quite a large path through the years as a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (recording no less than 3 albums), The Lonesome River Band, The James King Band, and Del McCoury to name a few. Doug has been a professional musician for over 30 years. He has toured all across the United States, Canada and Europe. He is the winner of two IBMA Awards and is a two time Grammy Nominee. Besides being a multi-instrumentalist playing guitar, fiddle and more, Doug is also a fine singer-songwriter. He has got solo album releases to his credit and many well-known co-writes. When the offer came in from Junior Sisk, he couldn’t refuse. He had been away from the music a little too long and really loved the material his friend played.

Adults: $35-$45

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