Bluegrass for Billy

In 2006, friends of the late Billy Reed elected to honor his memory by setting up the event Bluegrass for Billy http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/b-sides-bluegrass-fest-to-honor-simple-selfless-guy/article_a83c5e02-80aa-5feb-8b6d-09c404e7429e.html. Money raised through the three days of bluegrass music will go to the Bill Reed Music Scholarship Fund and the American Cancer Society.
William Carl Reed was born in 1949 and raised just south of Clay City in Middlebury, Indiana. After serving in the Vietnam War, he took up residence in Saline City with his family.  For more than 30 years, Billy enjoyed playing bass, guitar and mandolin, but most of all, he was best known for playing the banjo. He enjoyed jamming with pickers of all ages and skill levels. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2005 and died seven months later.  Bill Reed passed away in Aug. 2005 from lung cancer. Friends of the deceased Billy Reed have found a way to honor and cherish his memory.  Admission and parking are free, but donations to the scholarship fund, items for raffle and silent auction are needed (The Brazil Times).
Bluegrass for Billy has been going on every year since 2006.  I knew some of the bands that played. My stepdad Bruce was in few bands including "Dewey, Cheatem & How" and "Vicki N Crew".  My Uncle Donnie played in the band "Birch Creek".  I have not heard if they were going to have it again this year (2014).  It is an event where pickers can get together and jam.  Also you can listen to bands play on stage.  I really enjoy going especially when the weather is nice.  I hope they continue to have it.  It is for a great cause. 
I always wanted to put together some kind of bluegrass benefit concert event for the American Cancer Society.  I wanted to do this because my mother passed away of cancer and my dad has cancer.  Also some of my family members and friends have passed away from cancer.  I would do it in their memory.  This is one of my big goals in my life. 

This is a picture of my mother in 1980. Her first guitar was a hummingbird guitar.  She started singing in front of people when she was about 16.  My aunt told me one of the first songs she sung was "I don't wanna play house" by Tammy Wynette.  She was about ready to sing and nothing came out of her mouth.  Grandpa hit her with the fiddle bow and she started singing. She also sang "Blue Kentucky Girl", "I didn't know God made Honky Tonk Angels", "Your good girl's gonna go bad" and "Strong enough to bend".  Those were some of the first songs she sung.

Smokey Bill

I remember when I was young my mom and Bruce used to go to my grandpa's garage to practice. I didn't like bluegrass music then. I would try to go in the house most of the time but the kids weren't allowed in the house. I don't really remember why. I went to these practices often because they practiced it seemed like every time they had a gig. Sometimes they made recordings of their practices. My grandpa even tried out a drummer but he did not like drummers in bluegrass music. Which is why I don't know why he had one to begin with (maybe someone talked him into it).  Grandpa loved to play his fiddle. I always saw him with it. He loved to talk about music and his fiddle. He also played other instruments. He played the upright bass, guitar, mandolin and piano. He was an entertainer. He would come up with lyrics to songs that wasn't even part of the song but it sounded like it was part of the song.  My grandpa passed away in 2002.  My love for bluegrass music has grown since.   

This is my grandpa while he was in the army.  He served in WWII.  He served in Germany and France.  He was honorably discharged in November of 1945.  He used to entertain his children with his fiddle at home and they would dance in the front room.  He would hold them on his big lap and tell them stories. 

Birch Creek

This is the band Birch Creek.  The members of Birch Creek are; Daryl Jones, Danny Greene, Don Anderson, Mike Curtis and Roger Banister. They have been together for over 20 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTR_2gQYGDc

My stepdad Bruce went to practice with them for a gig in the picture above.  Bruce and Don are brothers and have been playing bluegrass music for over 30 years.  Bruce has played in bands over the years such as Smokey and the Swinging Hillbillies, Vicki N Crew and Diamond Hill Station http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/diamondhillstation2 . 

There is nothing better than pickin on a nice day with some friends and family.  This is how bluegrass pickers get together.  Being in this kind of environment makes me less nervous (than being on stage) and I learn a lot more by watching people play (if i am playing or not).  I do wish i could do this more often.  Even if it is to take pictures or enjoy the music.  If I had a place of my own I would definately host pickin parties like these.  Especially when the weather is nice. 

My first instrument was the clarinet.  I started playing when I was 12 years old.  I played in high school marching band, pep band and in all 4 high school musicals.  I loved playing in the musicals because the orchestra got to be down in the pit and I don't like being on stage if I don't have to.  In marching band we had a lot of after school practices in the summer outside.  There was also the memorization of the music, the places you had to be on the field, your posture and you had to be constantly aware of where everyone else was at.  Plus you had to keep your feet in time and march on your toes when you marched backwards and when you marched forwards you marched on your heels.  Almost all of that you had to do at the same time.  I guess you can say it kept my mind working.  I also played the flute, bass clarinet, oboe, saxophone and some piano.  I sang in the high school concert choir my senior year.  In college I majored in music with the clarinet as my main instrument.  I dropped out after one semester.  I continued my studies at a different school with a music minor and education major but never finished.
I sometimes play the guitar and sing for bluegrass bands but I do not have my own band.  This is me singing with Vicki N Crew at the woodfire grill in Plainfield, Indiana.  I started playing the guitar in 2004.  I took 2 guitar classes at IUPUI and have been teaching myself since.  I played with friends and family also.  I rarely play the guitar and sing with bluegrass groups today because I haven't had any opportunities to do so.  I play my guitar and sing for my child.  He loves it!

Carl Wright (Smokey Bill)

My grandfather is holding the fiddle on the right.  He started learning how to play the fiddle at the young age of 3. He would take his Grandpa Christopher Wright's fiddle out and play it.  He grew up in a musical family.  His mother played the piano, organ and saxophone.  All of his brothers played instruments too.  My grandfather and his brothers was in a band called the Wright mountaineers.  He was also in a group called the Utah Trailors with Ace Bailey, his son, Dick Bailey and Bill was the bass player. The group joined up with the WIBC Jamboree starring Jimmy Dickens. They played on the radio. Later he formed his own group called Smokey Bill and the Swinging Hillbilly's (in his days of the radio Jimmy Dickens called him Smokey Joe.)  They were very good and played at many fairs, festivals and clubs all over Indiana and other states http://www.familylegacies.com/legacy_output.asp?leg_id=1972.