* Neil Coey - Guitar, Bass & Mandolin - Lead & Harmony Vocals
* Tommy Coey - Banjo& Mandolin - Lead & Harmony Vocals
* Dave Morrison - Dobro - Lead & Harmony Vocals
* Mike Sheppard - Bass & Guitar - Lead & Harmony Vocals
Influences
(Neil): My favorite bands early on were:Bluegrass Album Band, Tony Rice, Lou Reid, Doyle Lawson & Quick Silver;
(Tommy):Earl Scruggs, Sammy Shelor, Tom Adams, Remy Bennett, Jimmy Mills, JD Crowe, Gary "Biscuit" Davis;
(Dave: To Come) ;
(Mike): Bluegrass Album Band, Tony Rice, Don Carlini, Tim Stafford, Dwight McCall, JD Crowe, Blue Highway, LRB, Blue Moon Risin'
Sounds Like
Blackwater Run has a unique sound of tight harmonies with everthing from soulful country Ballads to Hard drivin' traditional grass, with 85% Original material.
We formed the band in 1987. With no intentions or thoughts of forming a band, it started out as just a group of friends holding a once a month garage jam for fun. As word about the jam got out and the crowd showing up grew, the location was changed to handle the larger crowd. Well, it just kept growing! Finally someone asked if we would play at a nearby town street fair for an hour, and they would pay us (we thought, you get paid to do this?) After that it was one phone call after another until it became our second jobs. Neil and Tommy Coey are the original members. Several personnel changes through the years have lead to the current group. Neil alternates from guitar to bass, and sings lead and harmony. He also writes many of the groups songs. He and his wife, Karen run the band business, bookings, etc. Neil didn't play bluegrass music until a friend gave him a tape of "The Bluegrass Album Band", and he was hooked instantly! Then it became a personal mission to learn all that he could about the music and performers. His creative juices were rekindled and he started to write songs again. Tommy Coey plays banjo and mandolin, sings harmony and some lead, and keeps the crowd laughing with his endless supply of jokes and antics on stage. He can really light up a crowd when he breaks into some claw-hammer banjo! Dave Morrison adds some great Dobro sounds, and can step up and provide a nice bass vocal to make some great four-part harmony. Dave is also an accomplished steel guitar player and sets in on numerous country and gospel shows, along with doing a lot of studio sessions for various groups. Mike Sheppard is the newest member of Blackwater Run. Mike also alternates guitar and bass, and provides some solid lead and harmony vocals. Mike writes some great songs to add to the groups music list. That is one thing that sets Blackwater Run apart from many other regional bands, the many original songs we perform. Our other strong point is our tight harmony. We don't just sing, we entertain! You won't be disappointed in a live show, or a CD.
Howdy guys! How is it going? Hope everyone is doing well. I want to say yet again that I LOVE your music. I am playing with a local bluegrass band Friday and I am so excited! I guess I am coming to the top! Haha. Well, talk to you later. Can't wait to see you play and meet you in person!
Hey,,Thanks for the add.. And thanks for sharing the ross county info. We Carter Sisters played music with Dave. But our dear sister Loretta passed away 2004. Now Bev and I are singing revivals ,,we just came from a 3 weeks revival tonight and boy are we tired !!!! Stay in touch my friend..and keep that good ole bluegrass going,,,its the best,,,and so dear to my heart ! GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Hey guys !! Great to hear everyone is doing well !! Things are good around home... its the same ol Chillicothe/Kingston..lol. Tell Eric/Sami & Leah & Marty congrats for me !! I havent seen any of them in a long time. I did catch Eric singing with Neil on Youtube the other day.... I see it runs in the family !!
I hope to catch you guys this summer when you are playing in the area so if you have any other shows added to the schedule in the area please let me know !! I will no doubt be looking forward to the new recording !
We just got some new live tracks up and are about to head into the studio to cut our EP. Give us a listen and tell us what you think. Thanks for your friendship.
Hi folks!! Rec'd your CD's at the radio station and just wanted to stop by and say thanks for some great music and we'll be giving them some airplay!! Have a great week! Linda Axman/Blueridge Express