Photo of 16 Tons

16 Tons

16 Tons Radio

General Info

  • Genre: Bluegrass / Country / Southern Rock

    Location Athens, Georgia, Un

    Profile Views: 24015

    Last Login: 12/4/2011

    Member Since 1/5/2006

    Website www.myspace.com/16tonsmusic

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    TO BOOK 16 TONS FOR YOUR PRIVATE EVENT, PLEASE CONTACT RICH MULLINAX @ RichMullinaxPresents@gmail.com www.Facebook.com/RichMullinaxPresents From the music scene of Athens, Georgia comes 16 Tons, a hard-driving bluegrass band playing bluegrass & mountain music. 16 Tons is led by Andy Martin on banjo & vocals, a veteran of the Georgia bluegrass scene. The band also features John "Johnny Fabulous" Evans on guitar, Bryan Varin on mandolin & vocals and Rich Mullinax on upright bass. 16 Tons began the way most bluegrass bands do; out of a weekly pickin' session. On New Year's Eve '03, banjo ace Andy Martin was asked to perform as "Andy Martin & Friends" at Tasty World, a club in downtown Athens, Georgia. Andy asked John Evans, Bryan Varin & Rich Mullinax to join him, all regulars in the local jams. Rich had just started playing bass and Bryan hadn't even started the mandolin, but they had a blast. And so did the audience. In the coming months, Andy put his music education degree to use. With John's help, he set out to teach 2 beginners the basics of playing in a bluegrass band. Both apprentices eventually became journeyman and the band began playing clubs and private events. The band consistently drew large crowds at The Georgia Theatre and The Melting Point, NE Georgia's finest listening room. 16 Tons has enjoyed remaining faithful to the principles of bluegrass; acoustic instruments, Scruggs style banjo and 1 - 4 - 5 chord progressions. The traditional tunes are sentimental yet sometimes tragic, and the instrumentals express emotions that lyrics never could. But 21st century audiences and bands occasionally like their bluegrass flavored with other genres, and 16 Tons is no exception. Many bands have fused bluegrass with jazz, pop and rock, but 16 Tons enjoys covering the hard-driving, blue-collar songs from the likes of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash and Charlie Daniels. In 2008, 16 Tons' band leader Andy Martin relocated to Albany, GA and the bands members are all on to other projects. The band, however, still appears at occasional private events all over Georgia. At elegant functions such as wedding receptions, corporate banquets and art openings, bluegrass has gone from novelty to mainstream. 16 Tons is delighted to be a part of this trend, often being selected over jazz combos & doo-wop groups. And every few years, the band gets together to perform in Athens clubs such as The Georgia Theatre and The Melting Point. 16 Tons is thrilled to be counted among the many talented bluegrass bands that originated from the thriving Athens music community. 16 Tons Contact: Rich Mullinax RichMullinaxPresents@gmail.com www.Facebook.com/RichMullinaxPresents Individual Band Member Bios: JOHN "JOHNNY FABULOUS" EVANS: Guitar - John was born and raised in the North Georgia Mountain town of Ellijay, where he learned flatpicking guitar & mandolin by mistake. The youngest of 23 children, John was lavished with a lot of attention, mostly by his older sisters. The family was so poor they couldn't afford Cabbage Patch dolls, so his older sisters used to dress John up like a doll and force him to host tea parties with teddy bears, Barbies and a partially dressed, quadriplegic GI Joe. He managed to escape the worst of these "episodes" by hiding under the canvas of an old fishing boat where he found an old Martin D-18 under the canvas. The rest is bluegrass history. John lives in Seattle with his wife, Monica and his twin boys, Monique & Unique. He also has a home in Salt Lake City that he shares with his wife, Sandy, and her children from a future marriage. He spends most of his free time sneaking into strangers' carports and hiding under their boat covers. He likes quite walks on the beach and has learned not to let the bass player write his bio for him. John also plays guitar for his primary band, BorderHop Five, along with Bryan Varin & 16 Tons frequent guest Hal Misseri: http://TinyURL.com/BorderHop-Five ANDY MARTIN: Banjo, Fiddle, Lead Vocals - Andy has been picking banjo for 25 years. Hailing from Tifton, GA, his family moved from Kentucky to South Georgia just before he was born ... so Andy is proud to announce that he was born and raised in Georgia, the most beautiful state in the country - but he was conceived in the Bluegrass State!! Andy has long been a fan of the straight-ahead sounds of the more traditional sides of Bluegrass Music (Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, and Flatt & Scruggs). Some of his favorite "newer" bands include Blue Highway, Hot Rize, and The Del McCoury Band. Sounds that moan, cry, or "drive like a steam locomotive" are what Andy enjoys. He lists his favorite banjo players as Earl Scruggs (of course), J.D. Crowe, Peter Wernick, Jim Mills, Bela Fleck, and Bill Keith. Vocal influences are Carter and Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin (by the way..."Why isn't that man in the Country Music Hall of Fame?"), and the incomparable Lester Flatt. During daylight hours Andy is a mental health therapist. He mentions the late great John Hartford as a musician he respects for his originality, talent, and pure ability to entertain by just being himself. Andy's hobbies include tinkering with banjos, playing golf, cooking, and arguing with himself about questions that have no answer. BRYAN VARIN: Mandolin Guitar, & Lead Vocals – Bryan first developed a love for bluegrass music while listening to his parents pick during their weekly Wednesday night jam sessions while growing up in Huntsville, Alabama. It was during this time that he began playing guitar and was able to join in the sessions with his parents and their friends. Although he has continued to play guitar throughout the years, it wasn't until moving to Athens, GA and meeting Andy Martin that he rekindled his love for playing bluegrass. With Andy's guidance and teaching, he developed his rhythm guitar skills, has even discovered his singing abilities, and most recently has taken up the mandolin with a vengeance. Bryan played his first "real" gig as a member of "Andy Martin and Friends" on New Year's Eve '03 / '04, which led to the formation of "16 Tons". Currently, he is a chef at the University of Georgia and plays upright bass for his band BorderHop Five along with John "Johnny Fabulous" Evans & 16 Tons frequent guest Hal Misseri: http://TinyURL.com/BorderHop-Five RICH MULLINAX: Upright Bass, Harmony Vocals – Rich was born & raised in Virginia in a house full of music with the whole family heavily involved in music programs at church & school. He played drums in a marching band at age 9 and began strumming guitar at 14, just enough to accompany his own singing. As a kid he heard bluegrass bands in the D.C. area such as The Seldom Scene & the Country Gentlemen, but he became a fanatic in his early 20s when he started listening to Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, John Hartford, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas & Tony Rice. A passionate bluegrass fan for years, it was not until the summer of 2003, having never played in a band, that Rich actually began playing bluegrass. While listening in on jam sessions in and around Athens, he noticed that the jams often lacked a bass. He purchased a used upright bass from Dan Horowitz of Five Eight, took a few lessons from local bluegrass veterans, started showing up at the jams and jumped in. Rich joined his 1st band, 16 Tons, at age 36. (It's NEVER too late to start!) In addition to 16 Tons, Rich has played upright bass for The Blackmon Brothers, Short Road Home, Brian Connell & The Dickens & others. Rich is also an independent promoter of bluegrass and other traditional music in Athens GA, having presented concerts at venues such as The Melting Point, The Georgia Theatre, The 40 Watt, Tasty Wold (R.I.P.) and The Red Light Cafe. He has promoted shows for artists such as The Del McCoury Band, Tony Rice, Mountain Heart, Asleep at the Wheel, Crooked Still, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones & several shows by The Avett Brothers, including their most recent sell-out at The Classic Center in Athens, GA. http://Facebook.com/RichMullinaxPresents FREQUENT GUESTS DAVID BLACKMON - 16 Tons draws from a deep well of Athens fiddling talent, often relying on the music veteran David Blackmon. David is a well-known fiddler & mandolin player whose roots are firmly planted in traditional and bluegrass music. David has toured & recorded with legends from Jerry Reed and Glenn Campbell to Col. Bruce Hampton and Widespread Panic. http://CurleyMaple.net KAITLIN JONES - Lyricist and vocal talent Kaitlin Jones frequently appears with 16 Tons. Whether performing one of her haunting originals or a Hank Williams treasure, Kaitlin performs with a simple elegance that is becoming increasingly hard to find. http://MySpace.com/kaolinjones Brian Connell - The band often enhances their sound by recruiting special guest Brian Connell to play harmonica, an instrument that was more common in early bluegrass bands. Connell is an Athens songwriter and performer whose penetrating lyrics can be heard on his latest release, "The Sordid". http://tinyurl.com/Brian-Connell-On-Facebook HAL MISSERI - An Athenian bluegrass fixture, Hal often lends 16 Tons his mandolin chops & lead vocals which are both high AND lonesome! Hal's band, BorderHop Five, also features 16 Tons alumni Johnny "Johnny Fabulous" Evans and Bryan Varin. http://TinyURL.com/BorderHop-Five

  • Members

    Andy Martin: Banjo, Fiddle & Vocals.. John "Johnny Fabulous" Evans: Guitar.. Bryan Varin: Mandolin, Guitar, Vocals.. Rich Mullinax: Upright bass, Secretary.... FREQUENT & PAST GUESTS David Blackmon - Fiddle http://MySpace.com/curleymaple Kaitlin Jones - Original Songs, Vocals, Guitar http://MySpace.com/KaitlinJones Brian Connell - Original Songs, Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica http://TinyURL.com/Briann-Connell-On-Facebook Hal Misseri - Mandolin, Vocals http://TinyURL.com/BorderHop-Five Leah Calvert - Fiddle, Vocals http://MySpace.com/DappledGrays Andrew Heaton - Fiddle http://PackwayHandle.com

  • Influences

    Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, Hot Rize, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, Tony Rice, Blue Highway, The Bluegrass Album Band, Mountain Heart, Merl Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Charlie Daniels, Hank Williams, The Man In Black & Flight of the Conchords.

  • Sounds Like

    Bluegrass w/ a bit of Hank, Merle, Waylon & Johnny thrown in.

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    1 year ago
  • David Zavaleta




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    1 year ago
  • Sesame Ellis

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    1 year ago
  • Emily A. Stewart




    Hi.

    1 year ago
  • Christine K. Hood

    Hey!i love you music


    1 year ago
  • Christine K. Hood



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    1 year ago
  • Emily A. Stewart


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    1 year ago
  • Emily A. Stewart



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    1 year ago
  • Emily A. Stewart



    Hey,how are you?

    1 year ago
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    1 year ago
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