By Jaymie Mordue
The Patrick County Music Association (PCMA) will host their second annual Banjothon, featuring Sammy Shelor, on Jan. 19.
The event is sponsored by Glad Precision Machine and will be held at 420 Woodland Drive in Stuart.
The doors open at 4:30 p.m. with open jam starting at 4:45 p.m.
Bring a $5 donation and you will be entered into two drawings for the opportunity to win cash prizes.
Narrow Road, staring Tommy Nichols, will open the show at 6 p.m.
The inaugural Banjothon was created after PCMA organizer Denny Alley asked Shelor, a five time IBMA Award Winner for Banjo Performer of the Year, if he would like to help put a Banjothon together.
Shelor has many achievements and has won numerous awards for his musical talents throughout the years, one of which was the 2011 Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, where Shelor won $50,000.
“I give him credit. He’s never given up on his music; good times and bad times, he never walked away from what he believed in, his music,” Alley said, adding that not many banjo players ever received the Steve Martin award.
Shelor has 16 albums with Lonesome River Band, who he has been performing with for 28 years.
He toured with Alan Jackson in 2014 and performed on the Late Night Show, Carnegie Hall and more.
Shelor said that he has performed in Japan seven times and had the opportunity to perform in Europe and Canada.
He has performed in 48 of the 50 states and has traveled to all 50 states, adding that had he not played the banjo, he would not have been able to go to a lot of these places.
Shelor grew up in Patrick County and eventually moved to Richmond. He “always looks forward to seeing friends from Patrick County” and getting the opportunity to play in Patrick County, and hang out with fellow banjo picking friends.
The Banjothon was very well attended last year with several hundred people, Alley said.
Other performers include Charlie Chaney, Barry Collins, Larry Mabe, Darrell McCumbers, Hersie McMillian and Tommy Morse.
Also performing are Nick Goad and Jacob Harbour, who will play the base guitar. Goad and Harbour grew up together and performed in several of the same bands, Alley said, adding that the two are part of the PCMA’s younger generations of performers.
He said everyone participating in the event is extremely talented.
The Banjothon is the first show and kicks off the PCMA’s three-month spotlight sponsorship show, said Alley.
Jeanette Williams, IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year for multiple years, will headline the PCMA’s February show, which is sponsored by the Patrick County Shooting team.
Several other top female artists also are slated to perform.
In March the PCMA will host the Foddrell Piedmont Blues Show, sponsored by Stuart Tire, featuring Junior Cassidy, Denny Alley, Doug Tuner and Lynn Foddrell, who has played at Carnegie Hall in New York.
PCMA shows are held monthly.
There is no admission to the show, but donations are accepted.
Food also will be available.
