Formed by it's patriarch and mandolin player Frank Ray some 40 years ago, Cedar Hill is a traditional bluegrass band made up of five accomplished musicians and singers who have stayed true to their Ozark roots. Now settled into their own in the mainstream of the National bluegrass scene, Cedar Hill has been pleasing audiences everywhere with their original, emotional, exciting brand of traditional bluegrass!

 

 

 

 

Darren Beachley was born in June 1967 in Frederick, Maryland. His mother and father were wonderful singers and Darren was soon to follow their example. Darren was influenced early in his life by the music of Jimmy Martin, Flatt and Scruggs, The Osborne Brothers and The Seldom Scene. Darren started playing Mandolin at age 4 and by age 9 was playing upright bass. He made his first stage appearance at age 11. At age 14 he was playing mandolin, resophonic guitar, Guitar and upright bass. Darren began his professional career with South Central Bluegrass in August of 1988. The band would record 2 projects for The Webco label and the song “I Pressed through the Crowd” would reach number 17 on the bluegrass charts.

In the fall of 1991 Darren became one of Bill Harrell’s Virginians. Darren carries many of the lessons he learned from Bill to the stage today. Also in the fall of 1991 Darren began a working relationship with Norman Wright and Kevin Church. He had met Kevin when he was 12 years old, Kevin was working in Darren’s fathers band. He knew Norman from The Bluegrass Cardinals and The Country Gentleman. Norman had written songs for Doyle Lawson which Darren has always highly respected.

In October 2003 Darren decided it was time to head out on his own and The Maryland Line was formed. In February 2004, Remembrances was released on his Darbe records label. It has gotten world wide airplay and has been well received. Darren has in the past performed with The Seldom Scene, US Navy Band Country Current, The Tony Rice Unit to mention a few.

Darren is gifted with one of the clearest, most pure high lead and tenor voices in Bluegrass Music today. Many people compare Darren to Bobby Osborne, Barry Scott and Larry Stephenson. The summer of 2005 would bring yet another change when longtime friends Scott Walker, Kevin Mallow, Dave Propst and Kip Martin would join Darren in becoming The Maryland Line.

During the spring of 2005 Darren filled in for Jamie Dailey in Doyle Lawson's Quicksilver. That spring Darren played several shows with the band. Doyle called on Darren again in late 2005 to become a full time member of Quicksilver.

Darren played his first show January 1, 2006. Darren makes his home in Jefferson, MD, with his wife Sherri and children Brice, Rebecca and Bryan.

 

 

 

 

 

Stacy York has spent her lifetime for the love of bluegrass music. She has been performing gospel and bluegrass music starting at the age of three. But the age of seven she was touring with her family gospel band. Booking and performing at various bluegrass festivals is the life she loves. Along with her spiritual background, and family. Stacy has toured over the United States and in five different countries. She is a member the Cumberland Highlanders that is dedicated in helping to preserve traditional bluegrass music. She is seen in 28 million homes a week on the RFDTV channel. Stacy has performed at several of the showcases over the years at IBMA for Tom T. and Dixie Hall.

 

Stacy has been performing for the last six years with duet partner Joe Isaacs (of the gospel group The Isaacs) in a band called: Joe Isaacs and Mountain Bluegrass. She has been a part of several different recordings including a tribute to Carter Stanley where she was able to record with Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Other projects include Joe Isaacs' "Dreaming of Home", "The Joe Isaacs Family Reunion", and a duet project called "Joe Isaacs and Stacy York Mountain Bluegrass", which was given good reviews in Bluegrass Now magazine. She has recently released a new solo recording project on the Blue Circle Records label entitled "Kentucky In The Rain."

The Soul Pickers are a six piece bluegrass-gospel band from Hazel Green, AL. The band's journey together began in September of 2003, when three friends followed the Lord's leadership and formed the band. Since that time, the Soul Pickers have done over 450 dates, including special church singings, homecomings, and revivals. They have also had doors opened to places where gospel music is not so highly regarded, as well as numerous radio and television appearances.

 

Members of the band include Shane Norman (lead vocals and mandolin), Jackie Case (upright bass), Daniel Wiseman (guitar), and , Jayce Crook (baritone vocals, and banjo), Brett Anderton (Tenor vocals, Guitar/Dobro) . The band boasts of one the most versatile sounds in the business, ranging from hard driving instrumentation and strong vocal harmonies, to a smooth, soulful finesse.

After successful years in 2007 and 2008, 2009 promises to be even better yet. In April of 2007, the band signed with Dixie and Tom T. Hall's Blue Circle Records. Their debut CD is entitled "The Beautiful River Of Life" and is a favorite among listeners across the country. The album is the group's first national release and was produced by Tom Brantley, and features original songs from several different writers, as well as some familiar bluegrass-gospel favorites.

 

Lorraine Jordan grew up around bluegrass music on the coast of North Carolina . She has performed bluegrass music for over twenty years. Lorraine plays Monroe style mandolin and is known for her hard driving mandolin chop. “Road Trip For The Lord” is the name of her solo gospel project. It has been on the gospel bluegrass charts for over a year now. “ Lorraine is a consummate performer, songwriter, emcee, and show organizer. ASCAP chose Lorraine as a finalist in the International Bluegrass Music Association songwriter showcase.

She was the first runner up in the prestigious national song-writing contest at Meryl Fest. She was a finalist for female vocalist at SPBGMA in Nashville , Tennessee. Lorraine plays mandolin for The Daughters of Bluegrass who are signed by Blue Circle Records.

Heather Berry grew up in Sherando, Virginia which is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia. She got her first experience singing in front of a crowd in her Grandfather's church, Central Baptist in Waynesboro, VA at the early age of five years old.

Listening to old Carter Family records, Heather learned early to accompany herself with the guitar and Autoharp, and at the age of 12 was being asked to grace the stage with such notable artists as "The First Family of Bluegrass Gospel", Lewis Family and the late Charlie Waller and the County Gentlemen.

She's also been featured by: Alvin Breedin & the Virginia Cutups, Ralph II & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Jim & Jesse & the Virginia Boys and opened shows for Stonewall Jackson, Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, John Conlee, IIIrd Tyme Out, Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, The Easter Brothers, Nothin' Fancy, and others.

Heather formed her first band and started recording at the age of 12 and recorded her first CD, "Reflections of the Past" at Major Recording Studio in Waynesboro, Virginia with musicians James Bailey and Robbey Meadows.

When she was 16, Heather displayed her vocal, instrumental, and writing talents on an all-Gospel project , entitled "He Walks Beside Me" and caught the attention of singer-songwriters, Dixie and Tom T. Hall and was signed to the Blue Circle Records Label not long after the release of that CD. "He Walks Beside Me" featured two songs penned by Heather; one of her love, admiration and thankfulness for her Mother titled "My Mother is My Favorite Childhood Memory", in which she thanks God for the blessings of being raised in the Blueridge Mountains of Virginia, and for the love of her family. And the other "Do I Care (That He Cared For Me)" a song that causes one to search their own heart, and one of her father's favorite songs, she says.

Heather has released seven CDs including "Songs for Charlie", (recorded when she was 14) which is a tribute and thanks to Charlie Waller for his support in making her take herself seriously as a professional performing artist.

As Blue Circle Records' recording artist, Heather's most recent recording project "To A Dove" was released in April of 2006 and Heather is backed by some very big names in bluegrass: The Whites, (a duet with) Mac Wiseman, Eddie and Martha Adcock, Wayne Benson, Mike Bub, Chris and Sally Jones, Don Rigsby, Alecia Nugent, The Isaacs and the list goes on.

"To A Dove" is a collection of some great bluegrass, traditional Carter Family, folk, original and Gospel songs; five of which were written by Dixie and Tom T. Hall.

Daughters of Bluegrass was an idea by Lorraine Jordan and Gena Britt as they were traveling together in Carolina Road Band. They both agreed that there were so many great female pickers and vocalists playing the bluegrass festivals that there would be a demand for a musical project showing off the talented women. So in 2001 they began to put together some of the women in bluegrass on one project.

Joe Isaacs' release "From A Cabin To A Mansion" reached number 4 in the bluegrass charts and was air-played in the Netherlands, Africa, Europe, Australia and Japan and was received with high compliments across this nation. Joe is a member of the Cumberland Highlanders Band that is seen in millions of homes three (3) times a week on the Outdoor Channel. Joe has been a guest on the Grand Ole Opry over 50 times and has been accepted well among Grand Ole Opry stars.

Joe has received Grammy nominations, IBMA Song of The Year, IBMA awards, Dove awards for the Song of the Year and Dove awards for Album of the Year. He received special recognition from President George Bush for writing "Proud of the American Flag" which was adopted for the Desert Storm Operation.

 

Imagine the soul of the North Georgia mountains and the legacy of generations of family and friends who play country and bluegrass music. Put these in the hands of somebody with undying love of bluegrass and vocal talent to match, and you have singer Frances Mooney. Soul and heart, and a commitment that has taken her down bluegrass roads over 39 years, make Frances somebody people stand up and pay attention to, and it happens wherever the band plays. Frances isn't afraid of the emotion that makes a song poignant, lonely, or up-beat. For 39 years she's led Georgia-based groups to regional popularity, and with Fontanna Sunset, Frances wants to shoot toward the moon.

Frances is a veteran, having been in music over 39 years. She was a high profile singer and Bass player with The Bluegrass Generation in the Louisville bluegrass scene around 1975 in the days when Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill still played bluegrass. Both Ricky and Vince helped on a couple of early Generation albums. Another well known member of the Bluegrass Generation was Danny Jones who formally played with Bill Monroe, The Goins Brothers, Joe Isaacs and other's. In 1975 Frances became a "Kentucky Colonel". This band traveled as far North as Canada and South to Florida.

In 1978, back in Georgia, Frances formed "Cherokee Rose", an all female band. At this time all female bluegrass bands were still new to the bluegrass circuit. Cherokee Rose soon began to hit the bluegrass festivals, clubs and other venues. The traveling became very hard for Frances as a single parent raising two small boys, and she chose to leave the band, one of the hardest decisions she has had to make in the music.

"Bluegrass is a habit I can't shake," Frances says. "It's too much a part of me, and I had to find a way to do that and be a good mother too." In 1981, Frances formed a band called "Indian Summer" and played various festivals in the Northern and Southern states. In 1987 Indian Summer won 1st place in the "WPLO" Talent Contest out of 200 entries. Skeeter Davis was one of the judges and presented us with the 1st place award, which took us to Nashville, where we performed at Opyrland and the Station Inn. The highlight of Indian Summer's career was October, 1990 to be invited by the China Government to Shanghai, China to perform for the grand opening of the Grand Portman Hotel and to represent music of the United States.

In October 1998 Frances formed "Fontanna Sunset". Her current band members include some of Georgia's finest singer's/musicians; Mark Mundy, (Fran's son) on Lead Guitar, Jimmy Ross, Resophonic Guitar, (has shared the stage with Fran for the most part of 39 years), Steve Sosebee, Mandolin (has shared the stage with her over 25 years) and Ronnie "Termite" Wilbanks, Banjo.
Some players have the ability to capture and hold your attention. A few others have the magic to put you under a spell. This is singer Frances Mooney.

Fontanna Sunset