Roy Light, Roy Howard, David Light, and Donald
Tucker, members of Current River Bluegrass, perform
at Pulltite Campground on Saturday night.
Not pictured are Roger Smith and Lou Broadfoot.
By Eric Mansfield
| Bluegrass played a large part in local festivities this holiday weekend, as is appropriate for a tradition going back to when the hills and hollows were first settled. "Making and listening to music on an old guitar or fiddle are some of my fondest childhood memories," commented a member of one of the impromptu sets at Winona’s square this past Saturday evening. The comment was made while Kathy Honeycutt was playing bass and entertaining the crowd with her rendition of Rocky Top. Husband Carl and also brothers, Craig and Brent Osborne, among others, joined her. Well over a hundred people had gathered to partake of food vendors and sit in lawn chairs, visiting while listening to their friends and neighbors sing and play songs that most of them had grown up with. The evening on the picturesque square was a continuation of the Fourth of July celebrations and part of the Chamber’s monthly gatherings at the square this summer on the first Saturday of each month. If one wandered on to the north end of the county that same evening, Current River Bluegrass was entertaining a group of over 100 people, | the audience consisting of campers and locals gathered together to listen to bluegrass favorites and several original songs composed by band member Roy Howard, including the song they use to introduce the band, "Bluegrass, Gospel and Hillsfolk Music". The gathering at the Pulltite Campground on scenic Current River was sponsored by the National Park Service and was part of their annual special events. Similar events are held at Alley and Big Springs, while free evening programs occur at all major national campgrounds. Information on these offerings can be obtained by calling the Ozark National Scenic Riverways at (573) 323-4236, ext. 0. While the local band of Roy and David Light, Donald Tucker, Roger Smith, Lou Broadfoot and Roy Howard switched from bluegrass to gospel and a few country favorites, the Light’s big brother Norman and songwriter Howard’s wife, Cindy, occasionally joined them. Several of the livelier songs brought listeners to their feet and the extra activity just added to the fun. As camper and tourist, Tom Montagnese from Ohio, put it, "The dancers were amazing!" |