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Chimney Rock Park and Rutherford County Arts Council announce “Music on the Mountain: Songs from the Southern Highlands”

July 15, 2009

Chimney Rock Park and Rutherford County Arts Council today announced a joint event to be held Saturday, August 15 from 3-6pm on the Meadows at Chimney Rock. There is no additional cost with park admission which is $14 for adults and $6 for children ages six to 15.

The event will feature outstanding regional artists: Phil and Gaye Johnson and The Dowden Sisters Band with a lively afternoon of regional music and audience interaction designed for the whole family. Food will be available for purchase or guests are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy during the performance.

The concert is the first event in the Arts Council’s new program, “Music on the Mountain: Songs from the Southern Highlands,” designed to highlight the traditional music and artists of the region, both for the pleasure of the local population and to provide an exciting additional reason for making a visit to this special part of the country.

“Chimney Rock is excited to partner with the Rutherford County Arts Council to bring our guests this special afternoon of traditional Appalachian music. We can’t think of a better backdrop than Chimney Rock Mountain for such an event,” said Meghan Rogers, public relations and special events manager for Chimney Rock.

Arts Council Director Matthew McEnnerney stated, “We are delighted to launch this effort in one of the most beautiful places in the world. This scenic beauty is a fitting setting for the beautiful music that has been created here. Much of what is distinctive about American music and culture springs from our region and other parts of the South. It is our aim to share this cultural resource and make it a more dynamic part of the local economy.”

Phil and Gaye Johnson have lived the country music tradition incorporating into their sound almost all aspects of American acoustic music. Their eclectic style blends everything from traditional country music to Western swing, bluegrass to country-rock. Gaye is on lead vocals and guitar while Phil plays guitar, mandolin, resonator guitar and harmonica.

Gaye, a native of Green Creek in the foothills of North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, grew up singing and playing music with her family and friends, while Phil, on the other side of the country, discovered the roots of country music as a youth in Southern California. Phil and Gaye met at Santa Monica College, married three years later, and settled in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The duo initiated a live two-hour radio program broadcast weekly over WMRA-FM and completed a 13-episode bluegrass program for Virginia Public Television. Phil and Gay have also made appearances on The Nashville Network's Fire on the Mountain television series, as well as public radio's A Prairie Home Companion.

They continue to travel across the South giving over 100 concerts per year, and are currently the hosts of "The KingPup Radio Show - Small Time Opry," America's premier "roots music" program available on 50 radio stations world wide and online.

Hailing from Asheville, The Dowden Sisters bring lively fiddle tunes, exceptional vocals and instrumentals and sweet harmony singing to the stage, and are a favorite throughout the Southern Appalachian region. Laura Dowden plays rhythm and carter style lead guitar, and is the band’s primary vocalist. Hannah plays the fiddle, the foundation of the group’s sound, and together they sing the perfect vocal harmony that the band is most well known for. Music performed by The Dowden Sisters Band includes traditional fiddle tunes, western swing and songs by artists like The Carter Family and the legendary Jimmie Rogers.

The Dowden sisters are accompanied by Devin and Brendan McEnnerney. The McEnnerneys are talented multi-instrumentalists who have played professionally in several bands in the region, and have been members of The Dowden Sisters Band for the last five years. Devin anchors the band’s rhythm with the doghouse bass, while Brendan completes the ensemble’s sound with tasteful and creative lead work on both the guitar and mandolin.

The band has performed throughout the United States. Recent tours included stops in Texas, South Dakota, Illinois and Branson, Missouri as well as The Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration at the Bill Monroe Homeplace in Rosine, Kentucky and the popular Tennessee Fall Homecoming at The Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee.

Rutherford County Arts Council is a non-profit community organization dedicated to cultural revitalization through the arts. The Arts Council has a 38 year extensive history of promoting and producing musical and cultural events, live shows, and the classics of the American and European theatre traditions. In recent years, the Arts Council has initiated an economic development through the arts strategy focused on making Rutherford County a cultural destination of national significance. “Music on the Mountain” is an example of the cultural excellence and natural beauty Rutherford County has to offer the world. For more information please visit the Arts Council’s website at www.rutherfordarts.com or call 828-245-4000.

Chimney Rock is located 25 miles southeast of Asheville in Hickory Nut Gorge on Highway 64/74-A. The park is the focal point of the developing Chimney Rock State Park. 2009 admission is $14 for adults and $6 for youth ages six through 15. Children under six are admitted free. For a full list of events and activities, visit www.chimneyrockpark.com or call 800-277-9611.

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