#61 "Identified Performers" 20x16 oil on canvas

"Identified Performers"

In November of 1975, Pickin' magazine  had a photo contest. Pickin was a magazine for bluegrass and Old Time Country Music. At the time I was most definitely in to the music!  There was a bluegrass festival in Santa Barbara, CA so Steve Guidone, Ron Mayes and I decided to enter a play a few songs. Gene Libbea (one of the absolute best) was kind enough to play bass for us that day. Tina Walski, of San Bernardino, CA snapped this shot from behind the stage and entered it in to the photo contest. The magazine dubbed us as, "Unidentifed Performers."

Her photo, and one of Ralph Stanley and Keith Whitley, won honorable mention.  Abount a month ago, Ron Mayes sent me a bunch of photos from, "back in the day."  I noticed one of the photos was from the audience at that same festival! Well, you guessed it..... here's basically the same shot from the front! What are the chances? Sure wish I could remember what we were singing that day!

So today, even though it was 88 degrees and absolutely beautiful outside, I decided to go to the studio and mess with this a bit. Here's a16x20 I'm gonna call, "Identified Pickers."  Might just get back to the studio and really do this one larger and take some time with it....

This above painting of the, "Identified Performers now belongs to Steve Guidone who is on the left. Steve, Ron and I played in the band "Turkey Run" for many years. We loved singing harmony and still do!

This painting 16x20 oil of the, "Identified Performers" I did for Ron Mayes. He's playing banjo in the painting. Ron lives in Beaumont, Texas and is an amazing guitar player. We played music together for many years in a group called "Turkey Run." We still get together on occasion. Those high notes aren't as easy to reach but as we always say,
"We had a moment."

N