Mary and I are moving to a different location in eastern Tennessee and must have new utilities connected. While we are already moved in, there will be a slight delay in connecting internet service. Please do not adjust your set, we'll be back online within a few days. As always, thank you so much for your continued interest in this site.
Frederick Warner, Adirondack/Appalachian Composer

Bluegrass friends from all over eastern Tennessee were saddened to learn of the passing of our good friend James Miller. James had a massive heart attack on Tuesday, July 26th. James was a talented, humble, honest man with a great ability to write songs. We will all miss him very much. He was born January 13, 1955 and was laid to rest on Thursday, July 26, 2011. Arrangements were handled by Memorial Funeral Chapel in Elizabethton, TN. May he Rest in Peace.

I've just returned from playing banjo and fiddle in the String Fever band (house band) at the Sunday Live Bluegrass afternoon show held at Rock Creek Opry Place at 847 Rock Creek Road in Erwin, Tennessee. This show is sponsored by Robert Lee Crigger who is famous for the many years of music he's played in Nashville and around the world. Robert has played for Tom T. Hall for 2 years, Bobby Bare for 2 1/2 years, many years with Jean Shepard, 32 years on the Grand Ole Opry, played for Little David Wilkins, Donna Fargo, Billy Walker, Johhny Carver and Bob Luman. There is not the room available on this website to list his many musical credits.
Robert is a great guy and I always enjoy what a down-to-earth fella he is. I truly enjoy visiting with him. (He makes a GREAT chilidog, too!)

The “String Fever” band played Friday night, July 22nd at the Choo Choo Café in downtown Erwin, Tennessee from 7:00-9:00 p.m. The band consists of Jerry Sams, Gary Taylor, Ron Duncan, Jim Hady and Fred Warner. Lisa Pattison, our fiddler was absent but will be playing this coming Friday night, same place and time. The picture below was taken by Mary with her cell phone while we were well into our second set. The first set I played the banjo and Ron played the mandolin. (I will be unable to play this coming Friday night due to a conflicting schedule.)

Yesterday, the newly-formed band, String Fever, that Your's Truly is now a member of, played at the Opry House on Rte 395 out of Erwin, on Rock Creek Road. The owner, Robert Crigger, famous from playing in Nashville for 32 years with the biggest name people there, actually came up on stage with us at one point and fiddled a couple of numbers. He's a piano man extraordinaire, but he knows his way around on a fiddle, too! Our five-piece band consists of Ron on banjo/mandolin, Jerry on rhythm guitar, Gary on bass, Eddy on mandolin/bass and me on mandolin/banjo/fiddle. Vocals are Ron, Jerry and yours truly. Our stage band encourages performers in the audience to come up and pick with us. Additional pictures on the "Bluegrass Country Pictures" page.  

Kenny Baker passed away on July 8th, 2011 at Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin, Tn. He was born in Jenkins, Kentucky, the son of a fiddler. After serving in the US Navy, he joined Don Gibson’s band and later, around 1957 was asked by Bill Monroe to be a member of the Bluegrass Boys. Kenny was the longest running member of Bill Monroe’s band serving more than 25 years. Kenny and Josh Graves played a lot together after Kenny left the Bluegrass Boys in 1984, until Josh passed away in 2006. My friend, Will, a professional (now retired, but still picking) Dobro player from the Elizabethton area whom I enjoy picking with, was a real good close personal friend of Josh and Kenny. There are countless people I've run into affected by Kenny's passing. He was very much loved and respected all over the world and especially right here in eastern Tennessee.

I've started another drop-down page to feature some more of Mary's pictures. Under the "Pictures" page, click on "Mary's Photos" and you'll find a new drop-down page titled "Summer 2011 in Tennessee".
Also I've posted a lot of new pictures in the "Bluegrass Country Pictures" page having to do with some of the places I've played lately. Hope you enjoy!

A couple of days ago, Mary and I took a trip up the Houston Valley Rd. and turned onto the Paint Rock Rd. and followed it up, way up (basically a jeep trail near the top) and down over the other side into North Carolina and out to the French Broad River area around Hot Springs. Here are a few pictures Mary took along the way: (There are a few more on the "Bluegrass Country Pictures" page)

This past Thursday evening found Mary and me and our friends jamming at the Old Pilot Hill General Store in Philadelphia, TN. (Google it....it's an amazing place :)

Here are a few pictures: