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08/21/2009 08:00 PM - Laurel Bloomery Fiddler’s Convention [Edit] [Cancel] Mountain City Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee US Cost:N/A Description:3 Day Weekend event, Fiddler’s Convention, good food, good music, good laughs, good jams, everyone come out and support the music, plenty of great bands and only a gas tank trip away for most...come on up y’all!

What the world is saying right now...

Uncle Dave Macon Days deemed a success - The Murfreesboro Post

Uncle Dave Macon Days President Gloria Christy said Saturday night performers and Heritage Award winners The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers “just blew it out of the park with their performance.

Pickin' and grinnin' at Uncle Dave Macon Days Crowd turns out for family time, tunes

BY MARK BELL • MBELL@DNJ.COM • July 12, 2009

Hoo-wee! Uncle Dave Macon Days underway By: ERIN EDGEMON, Business Editor

Also presented was the 2009 UDM Heritage Award Winners: Bill and Janice Birchfield and the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers String Band.

“The focus this year is the celebration of old-time music,” Christy said, referring to music that predates bluegrass music.

That is one of the reason’s the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers are being honored with this year’s Heritage Award, she said. The group will be honored and then perform at 5 p.m. Saturday.

The award is given to individuals dedicated to the preservation and the advancement of old-time music and dance.

“(The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers) are probably the most premier old-time band right now in the country,” Christy said. “They have played at many festivals and have promoted old-time music.”

Christy said the Uncle Dave Macon Days committee wanted to honor a group that could educate the audience about the differences between old-time music and bluegrass.

Uncle Dave Macon Days

BILL & JANICE BIRCHFIELD

2009 Uncle Dave Macon Days Heritage Award Winner

Janice and Bill Birchfield

The 2009 Uncle Dave Macon Days Heritage Award winners are Bill and Janice Birchfield of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers Old-Time String Band. This award annually is presented to an individual(s) who have dedicated their lives to the preservation and promotion of old-time music. It will be presented on stage, Saturday, July 11 at 5 p.m. The Birchfield’s roots run deep in the rich music traditions of the Appalachian Mountains. They live on Roan Mountain, located in upper East Tennessee near the North Carolina border, where the band started more than 30 years ago. Today, they continue to keep alive their musical heritage that dates back to the tunes of the area’s early settlers. Initially, the members of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers were fiddler Joe Birchfield, Bill’s father, and his uncle Creede, a two-finger, up-style old- time banjo player. Ethel, Bill’s mother, played the wash board and told stories, Bill, who played the guitar in his unique left-handed style, and his wife, Janice, on the homemade washtub bass completed the group. The band has played their energetic style of music from local barn dances to performing at the prestigious Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC. For decades, the Birchfields’ welcoming attitude toward all musicians has taught and influenced countless younger performers resulting in a living legacy of talent which knows how to play music ragged … but right.

City of Murfreesboro Tennessee

On Saturday, the 2009 Heritage Award will be presented to the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers. The award is presented each year to those judged to be the most dedicated to the preservation and advancement of old-time music and dance. The Heritage Award winners will serve as Grand Marshals of the Motor-less Parade as it winds down East Main Street in Murfreesboro that morning.

Examiner.com Chris Griffy

On Saturday, July 11, the annual Heritage Award, given for those who dedicate their lives to the preservation and promotion of Old Time Music and Dance, will be presented to the legendary Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, who have been playing music for decades and have influenced everyone from Old Crow Medicine Show to The Sex Pistols to Boy George.

The Banjo Hangout

The 2009 Heritage Award Bill and Janice Birchfield of The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers Presented on Stage, Sat., July 11, 7 p.m.

Dirty Linen Folk & World Music Uncle Dave Macon Days Traditional Music Festival

The Birchfields will be the grand marshalls, free showing of the 1940 Grand Ole Opry film starring Uncle Dave Macon and Roy Acuff, children’s activties.

Tennessean.com BY MICHAEL STONE • NEWS@DNJ.COM • June 26, 2009

This year's heritage award winners are Bill and Janice Birchfield of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers String Band. They will be performing Saturday night at 5 p.m.

"They're real professionals but they really are old-time musicians," Christy said. "They're a string band that still does the washboard and the old-time fiddle and use the washtub for their bass."

Dr. Charles Wolfe-MTSU Middle Tennessee State University

Dr. Charles Wolfe, English, called the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers "the last of the true old-time mountain string bands" in The Tennessean's obituary of the Hilltoppers' leader, Joe Birchfield.

Yet another wonderful new video from Mt.Airy. Enjoy!

A wonderful new video I just found on YouTube, wonderful sound and really highlights what my father can do. Pay close attention to his hands on the neck of the guitar, truly his upside down and backwards signature left handed playing. Enjoy!

Come support the music and prove the economy won't get us down, we're looking to jam the night away...Mt.Airy NC, a gas tank away and playing the evening away...

GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UNCLE DAVE MACON DAYS OLD TIME MUSIC AND DANCE FESTIVAL

DATE May 1, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bill and Janice Birchfield of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers Old Time String Band are recipients of the 2009 Uncle Dave Macon Days Heritage Award presented Saturday, July 11 , Murfeesboro, TN

MURFREESBORO, TN – Hold on. Take a deep breath. Get ready. The music is about to get ragged, but right when Bill and Janice Birchfield and the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers old-time string band take to the stage at the 32nd Uncle Dave Macon Days slated for July 10-12 at Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village. The Birchfields are being honored on stage Saturday at 5 p.m. with the 2009 Heritage Award for their life long dedication to the preservation and promotion of traditional music.

The Birchfield’s have a deep tap root in the rich folk traditions of the Appalachian Mountains. Their home is in high reaches of Roan Mountain, located in upper East Tennessee near the North Carolina border, where the band started more than 30 years ago. Today, they continue to keep alive the musical heritage of their family that dates back to the lively tunes of the area’s early settlers.

“We’re honored to be getting the Heritage Award from a festival that honors one of the first stars of the Grand Ole Opry,” said Janice Birchfield. Uncle Dave really enjoyed himself on stage and the Hilltoppers share that same idea of entertaining the audience. We always want to make sure that the people that come to see us go away happy.”

Initially, the members of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers were fiddler Joe Birchfield, Bill’s father, and his uncle Creede, a two-finger, up-style old- time banjo player. Ethel, Bill’s mother, played the wash board and told stories, Bill, who played the guitar in his unique left-handed style, and his wife, Janice, on the homemade washtub bass completed the group. The band has played their wide-open, energetic style of music from local barn dances, bean-stringings and corn-shuckings to performing at the prestigious National Folk Fest at Wolf Trap, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Port Townsend’s Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, Ca. and countless other music gatherings.

Also, the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers will be riding in the Motorless Parade, Saturday morning at10 that will roll down East Main Street toward the courthouse. For more information about the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers visit /www.myspace.com/roanmountainhilltoppers. For more information about Uncle Dave Macon days visit www. Uncledavemacondays.com.

Bill and Janice Birchfield of the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers Old Time Band are the 2009 Uncle Dave Macon Days Heritage Award Winners For their lifetime dedication to the preservation and promotion of Old Time Music The award will be presented on The main stage, Sat., July 11 at 5 p.m. Performance following award presentation Uncle Dave Macon Days, July 10-12 Cannonsburgh Pioneer Village Park Murfreesboro, TN www.uncledavemacondays.com

HERE'S THE INFO ON HOW TO CONTACT THE ROAN MOUNTAIN HILLTOPPERS:

c/o Janice Birchfield (Roan Mountain Hilltoppers manager) 423 725 3065, please, if we do not answer, leave a message with your name, number, and a brief description and we WILL return your call as soon as we can.

You can also write to us at: 115 Holly Hill Rd Roan Mountain TN 37687

WE LOVE FANMAIL!

WE ARE AN OLD TIME BAND KEEPING THE TRADITIONAL MUSIC ALIVE IN NORTHEAST TENNESSEE, BELOW IS OUR STORY AND OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Bill and Janice Birchfield are from Roan Mountain Tennessee. Janice is the manager of the band. The band originally consisted of Bill, Janice, Joe, and Creede, Joe being the main man and fiddler for the band, Creede playing banjo, Janice washtub bass, and Bill the backwards upside down left handed guitar. Joe and Creede have since passed on leaving their music legacy to Bill and Janice. Joining them is Amy Michels from Creston, NC. She is a long time friend to the Hilltoppers and adds a unique flair with her Ol' Rattler. Varying guitar players lend a hand in getting just the right sound.

The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers list of accomplishments is rather extensive and continues being added to. Including the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, as well as The Country Music Hall of Fame, Carnegie, Brandywine, The Library of Congress, Smithsonian, American Folklife Festival, numerous conventions, radio appearances, CMT, Rolling Stone Magazine, tours, and many other television, radio, magazine, internet, etc. interviews.

One of the most memorable being a visit from none other than Sid Vicious "The Sex Pistols", Boy George, and Malcolm McClaren. This visit inspired the "Duck Rock" movement of punk and landed The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers a no.9 hit on the London pop charts.

All you have to do is Google the Roan Mountain Hilltoppers and be prepared to read. You will be bombarded with information.

To all the fans, happy hunting and welcome to the newbies. Keep listening!

Little known fact: Joe originally started playing the banjo and Creede the fiddle. Creede's original fiddle was homemade out of a cigar box.

We encourage anyone and everyone to enjoy our music and spread the word that old time is here to stay and we're doing everything in our power to promote the continuation of the Arts in every state. "Let's make the world beautiful for the ears as well as the eyes."

Please feel free to click and review any of our friends that you see, all are extremely talented individuals doing their best to keep the music alive.

2008:

2007:

Bonus! Laurel Bloomery 2008!

This one really shows the talent of my father Bill Birchfield, left handed in every way...

Here's a secret, he's really ambidextrous, he throws a rock or shoots a gun with his right hand, he plays music and writes with his left. I would dare say if he could draw, he could do it with both.

ENJOY and LOVE to all our fans!

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