2010 Performers
The Sheets Family
Randy and Deborah Jean Sheets have played old time music for the past thirty years. They have roots in Grayson County, VA but now live in the Bethel community of Watauga County, NC. Steeped in the folk and old-time traditions, Deborah Jean plays guitar, sings and is a songwriter. She has played with a variety of groups, from string bands to trio- and duet-groups. She loves to sing and you usually hear her singing the harmony vocal. Randy, a claw hammer banjo picker, is a devotee of old-time string band music. The couple also gets bands together for occasional square dances, and participates as contestants at fiddlers conventions throughout the Appalachian region. Randy is often asked to judge some of these contests, in Virginia, NC and TN, the most notable being "The Old Fiddlers Convention" in Galax, VA. He is also an award winning flat-foot dancer and performs regularly at the Blue Ridge Music Center. This husband and wife team have played for a variety of radio programs including, "The Bluegrass and Old Time Show," WKSK AM in West Jefferson, NC, "Studio One," WETS FM in Johnson City, TN and "Blue Ridge Backroads," a live radio broadcast from the historic Rex Theatre in Galax, VA. They also played for the inaugural season at the Blue Ridge Music Center at Fishers Peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virginia sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (and have now become regulars there) and play every year at the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in Ferrum, VA. They are excited about returning to the Clinch Mountain MusicFest this year.
In 2005, Randy and Deborah Jean appeared with Dale Jett, Linda and David Lay as part of the Carter Family Band to represent Janette Carter at the National Heritage Awards. This ensemble appeared at the Library of Congress and at Lisner Auditorium, on the George Washington University campus in Washington, DC. They got together again as part of the Crooked Road Show at the National Folk Festival in Richmond, VA. Their CD, "The Birds Were Singing of You," was reviewed in the April/May - 2006 edition of the OLD TIME HERALD. Kelly Sheets, their daughter, has joined them on their latest CD, "The Sheets Family." Kelly plays the fiddle and provides a rich harmony to Deborah Jean's lead.
Website: http://www.randyanddeborahjeansheets.blogspot.com/
Myspace: http://myspace.com/TheSheetsFamily
The Sheets Family - Schedule
| Stage | Date |
| Jackson Street - Gate City | 06/12/2010 3:25 PM |
