Lonesome Ride Bluegrass
About Us
The New Lonesome Ride Bluegrass Band at the HCPD Eat, Sing and
History Festival
Tom Smith Banjo, Shawn Smith Vocals, Ryan Oldaker Guitar, and Anissa Oldaker Bass
At home practicing, Shawn, Tom, Anissa, and Ryan
Just Another Picture
Bookings: The Hillbilly Rendevous, Jane Lew Festival, The Jubilee, The Johnstown Fair and numerous private presentations
The Original Lonesome Ride Bluegrass Band
Mike, Zeb, Shawn, & Tom
Bluegrass Civil War Music at its Best
The Smiths Lonesome Ride
Gary and Wilma Smith Gary at the Wall
Gary and Wilma Smith are avid Civil War enthusiasts and reenactors, having spent years studying and researching various aspects of the War Between the States. They have visited numerous Civil War battlefields and museums, and have researched the archives at Richmond, VA, Washington, DC, and Carlisle PA. Their main focus of study was that of the ordinary Civil War soldier, an interest that was sparked by Gary's great grandfather, Griffith Creasy's experiences with Co. G of the 28th Virginia Infantry. A book, Three Rebel Brothers from Old Virginia, resulted from this research.
Another result of this avid interest was the authorship of several Civil War songs and the production of a Bluegrass CD, �Crossing the Wall,� which includes ten of these songs as well as two traditional Civil War era songs and one instrumental written by Tom Smith.
Hear that banjo ring! G. Thomas Smith
If you like banjo music, you'll love Tom's pickin style on these songs.
Without accompanying music, notes and a "tune", a song is little more than mere words, so we called upon son Tom Smith, a master bluegrass five-string banjoist, with twenty years of musical experience, to refine the tunes and develop musical arrangements for the songs. He reached out to his good friend, Mike Davisson, who is also a master bluegrass musician with great talent on the guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. They engaged Mike's son, nine year old Zeb, to play stand-up bass on some of the songs.
Mike and Zeb Davisson
The lead vocalist is Shawn Smith, another son, whose clear distinct voice shares the feelings and emotions of the songs with such passion that the listener is drawn into the scenes, emotions and stories portrayed by the lyrics of these songs�. WARNING: Grown men have been known to tear up when listening to these songs�.
Christopher Shawn Smith
After much dedicated work and practice, the band, Lonesome Ride, was formed. Local performances were so successful that the recording and production of the CD �Crossing the Wall� was encouraged. The boys did allow Mom and Dad to perform two of the songs and Tom teamed with Dad to perform the vocals on one of them. By the way, to keep everything in the family, Wilma and Gary adopted Mike and Zeb, figuratively speaking of course.
We have tried to bridge the gap between the old and new, then and now, by telling of the hardships, sentiments, and valor of the Civil War soldier but by setting the lyrics to bluegrass music, producing a unique sound that is peppy and highly enjoyable for the listener.
We hope you enjoy our endeavor as much as we enjoyed making it for you.
We thank the Good Lord for making this music possible.
Wilma, Gary, Tom, and Shawn Smith
Ten
Civil War Songs
Two Civil War era Songs One
instrumental
Set to Bluegrass music CD
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Crossing the Wall
Bluegrass Civil War Songs
By
Lonesome Ride
I'm Going Home Tonight Traveller
Northern Prison Blues Reverend Peter Tinsley
Brotherly Love Hardtack and Salt Pork
A Soldier's Last Letter Home Blue Eyed Boston Boy
Shiloh's Hill Crossing the Wall
Battlefield Blues Pickett's Charge
A Mother's Prayer Appomattox
Cp 2002
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Written and performed by Civil War Re-enactors
Shawn Smith, Tom Smith,
Gary G. Smith, Wilma M. Smith, Mike and Zeb Davisson
Lonesome Ride
5031 Hackers Creek Rd.
Weston, WV 26452 To Email click on the following link
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