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Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike featuring Becky Buller
"Valerie Smith and her amazing band are a breath of fresh air. Onstage, they present visually beautiful and exciting performances with exceptional musicality. Offstage, they are like family and best friends to everyone, always willing to share that which makes them so very special-their music, their hearts, and their souls."
- Gabrielle Gray, Executive Director International Bluegrass Music Museum, Promoter of ROMP.
"Valerie Smith has a storyteller's sensibility and timing and a singer's soulful vocals that leave her audience waiting to hear the next song."
- California Bluegrass Association, CBAontheweb.org
"Excellent stage act Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike are known for their lively and impressive concerts!"
- Erin Spurling, Maverick Magazine, England
"What a night! What a band! Valerie and her wonderful band played a stormer! We have enjoyed the very best of bluegrass before at Brookfield...or so we thought."
- Loudon Temple, Music Journalist and Scotland Promoter
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Becky Buller - Vocals/Fiddle/Clawhammer Banjo/Guitar/Songwriter (Birthday: January 31)
A multi-instrumentalist from St. James, Minn., Becky Buller now resides in the Nashville, Tenn.-area. She holds a degree in communication from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, where she was involved in the Bluegrass and Country Music Program. In 2000, she released "Rest My Weary Feet," a self-produced solo release for SRS Records. Becky was awarded first place in the bluegrass division of the 2001 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest in Wilksboro, N.C. Becky's songs have also been recorded by Rhonda Vincent; Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver; Mark Newton; David Parmley and Continental Divide; the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band; and, most recently, IIIrd Tyme Out. Her second album, "Little Bird," was release in October 2004 and is available fromBell Buckle Records. She proudly endorses D'Addario Strings and Nechville Banjos.
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Rebekah Long - Bass, mandolin, fiddle & guitar
Born in Lincolnton and raised in the Classic South Region of Georgia, Rebekah A. Long was exposed from birth to the rich bluegrass heritage of South Georgia. Rebekah's love for music, her vocal style, and stage presence were fostered by studying such legendary musical icons as Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Keb' Mo, Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks. She has a renegade voice in the music industry that leave her vocals filled with a yearning heart and edgy soul. There is nothing more pleasing than to hear her rendition of Dolly Parton's Wildflowers or Tom T. and Dixie Hall's The Old Family Table. Upon matriculating into College, Rebekah became a music student majoring in percussion at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. After three years, Rebekah transferred to Glenville State College in West Virginia to combine her study of percussion with bluegrass music under the tutelage of Buddy Griffin, one of the former Virginia Boys playing backup to Jim and Jesse (McReynolds). Prior to transferring to Glenville State College, Ms. Long moved her primary residence to Nashville, TN. In the summer months, she began assisting Ben Speer, renowned southern gospel singer, in the direction of the Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music and his publishing company Ben Speer Music. While at Glenville State College, she orchestrated the formation of a bluegrass band, Mountain Fury, consisting of four female performers. Rebekah produced and Engineer their first CD Some Sweet Day. Two years after matriculating into Glenville, graduating with a B.A. in Music Education and a B.A. in Bluegrass; the first bluegrass degree awarded at Glenville State College or anywhere. During her final semester, She was selected as the Outstanding Teacher Intern. Since graduation, Rebekah has toured full time playing bass and singing with performances that include "The Little Roy & Lizzy Show", appearances with legend Earl Scruggs and in 2008 participate playing bass and sing lead vocal on a musical selection recorded on the Award Winning Bluegrass Bouquet; a CD recorded by Tom T. & Dixie Hall's Blue Circle Records featuring the Daughters of Bluegrass. Most recently she has graduated from Nashville's School of Audio Engineering (SAE). While at SAE, she had the opportunity to study under award winning producer, Alan Shacklock and mentored by 4-time Grammy Award winning engineer, Mark Capps, of SoundShop Studios.
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Ernie Evans - Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin and Banjo
Ernie's musical seed was planted at age 12, inspired by his father and local musicians in Northwestern Ohio. Banjo soon became his primary instrument and veteran musicians quickly recognized him. He played professionally throughout the tri-state area and at age 16, he joined the high school jazz band playing upright bass to stay active in music. Touched by the art of Jazz, he pursued guitar but never let go of bluegrass. He soon became a well-known jazz-grass guitarist performing festivals, nightclubs, radio and TV. He would later form his own group "Detour" and toured the United States, Canada and Europe performing avariety of show music including top 40, country and even bluegrass. In 1987. In August of 2001, he was introduced to legend fiddler "Vassar Clements" to sing and play mandolin. He was soon recognized by Valerie Smith and from there, there is no telling what the future holds. Ernie's biggest inspirations are his family, playing with "The Platters", "Vassar Clements" and now being a member of Liberty Pike. Ernie proudly endorses GHS Strings, Sabine Tuners, Bluechip Picks and Pork Chops from the world famous Bell Buckle Cafe.
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