Memories of the Bluegrass Patriots

Following our post of Good Friday, which mentioned the Bluegrass Patriots from Colorado, the BIB thanks Des Butler for these photos of the band in action at Athy in 2009. Des writes:

I must agree with your very apt choice of music for the season of Eastertide that we are in at present, namely the Bluegrass Patriots' renditions of 'Six hours on the cross, a Bluegrass Brothers song, and 'Just as the sun went down', written by Luther G. Presley.

I had the pleasure of being entertained by the Bluegrass Patriots at the 2009 Athy Bluegrass Festival (see attached photos), and purchased an album of theirs called The first decade, which has 'Six hours on the cross' on it. They gave a great performance at the festival with some Ozark Mountain music, gospel, and some great vocal harmonies.

The Patriots formed in 1980 and their first album was released in 1983 entitled The Bluegrass Patriots and contained a variety of music from original songs to folk classics to bluegrass classics. The follow up album Someone new, released in 1986, had elements similar to the first release. One of the great bluegrass bands...

Des's photos show Willie McDonald (mandolin), Danny Rogers (bass), and Glenn Zankey (guitar) of the 'classic' Patriots lineup, supplemented for this tour by Bobby Vickery (fiddle) and Mark Leslie (banjo) from High Plains Tradition. For the Patriots' 'retirement', see the BIB for 10 Oct. 2011.

© Richard Hawkins