* 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.
Hey Cats my boy sure enjoyed you last week! As did the whole family Sorry I missed it. by the way I'm playing at the Galley in Marietta this Saturday (April 26th) at 9pm. I'd Love to see you there! Hope all is well Todd
So good to here from you glad you found me sounding great as always. Hope to see you soon. Check out Lonesome Rides page it has a lot more on it. Take care and have a wonderful week. Rick
