Linda Lay and Springfield Exit

After putting their stamp on several of Cracker Barrel's Heritage Series CDs in early 2002, Linda and David Lay, along with David McLaughlin, decided to perform some shows together. At their first concerts at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and at the Lowell Massachusetts Folk Festival, they received standing ovations and rave reviews. With these auspicious results, they have continued performing together.

After putting their stamp on several of Cracker Barrel's Heritage Series CDs in early 2002, Linda and David Lay, along with David McLaughlin, decided to perform some shows together. At their first concerts at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and at the Lowell Massachusetts Folk Festival, they received standing ovations and rave reviews. With these auspicious results, they have continued performing together. Springfield Exit is now considered one of Virginia's outstanding trios of singers. They perform original songs and a wide variety of their own arrangements of old standards and traditional songs and instrumentals pulled from a wide variety of sources, both traditional and new country, blues, swing, bluegrass, and folk. Though two members are natives of Virginia, all three now live in Winchester in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley from whence they travel to just about anywhere. They have performed to audiences nationwide from Vermont to Washington state. They have performed on the stages at the Library of Congress, several National Folk Festivals, the Birchmere, Floyd Fest, Winchester's Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the General Jackson Showboat, the Wildhorse Saloon, Opryland Hotel, and many other important venues and stages.

Patrick County banjo player Sammy Shelor, a Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Master artist, has been chosen as this year’s winner of The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. As a result, Sammy and the Lonesome River Band will perform with the comedian and actor on The Late Show with David Letterman on November 11, 2011. In addition to the opportunity to appear on The Late Show, the Martin prize comes with an Eric Fischl sculpture and a $50,000 award.

Shelor and his banjo-playing apprentice Ashley Nale appeared in Charlottesville on September 11 as part of the VFH Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase. Fans of the Virginia Folklife program may have heard Shelor’s talents in 2007 when VFH produced “Taking the Crooked Road Home” featuring Shelor and Linda Lay; the CD is one of a series of Crooked Road music CDs promoting Virginia artists.

Shelor joined the Lonesome River Band in 1990 and has led the band since 2000, continuing to influence banjo players everywhere with his traditional blue-grass style, part of the reason Martin and others selected Shelor as this year’s prize winner, according to the New York Times. Nominees for the Steve Martin Prize are chosen by a board that includes Martin, Earl Scruggs, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Béla Fleck, and other musicians appreciative of the distinctive American roots genre.
“Sammy is, without question, one of our favorites. Virginia has always been fertile ground for banjo players, from old time to bluegrass, and in the latter category, nobody is stronger than Sammy Shelor,” declared Jon Lohman, director of the Virginia Folklife program, upon hearing of Shelor’s latest award.

Shelor and other members of the Lonesome River Band are nominees for a variety of upcoming International Bluegrass Music Association awards that will be announced September 29 in Nashville. This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the Lonesome River Band, according to Rural Rhythm Records, which released the band’s most recent CD, Still Learning and the IBMA nominee for album of the year, The All-Star Jam: Live At Graves Mountain that features Shelor’s banjo playing, too.

Images

Additional Resources

Millennium Stage Home Page

Watch Past Performances

10/12/11: Linda Lay and Springfield Exit

The Virginia-based group performs a mix of traditional country, blues, swing, bluegrass, and folk music.

Linda Lay and Springfield Exit

The Virginia-based group performs a mix of traditional country, blues, swing, bluegrass, and folk music.

Comment, rate, and more...

Performances

Search by Date

Annual Events

Search by Category

Visit these areas of our website:

Tickets

Buy a Ticket

Subscribe

Customer Help

Box Office

Contribute

Give Now

Support Us

Get Involved

Visit

The Kennedy Center

Area Information

The Venues

Area Map

Explore the Arts

Videos

Live Broadcasts

Interactives

Artists

Blogs

Education

Performances & Events

Arts & Schools

Career Development

VSA and Accessibility

Arts Management

About

A Living Memorial

Our People

Linda Lay and Springfield Exit

Images

Additional Resources

Watch Past Performances

Comments