Happy 84th birthday to the Briarhoppers!

Yes, the Briarhoppers has made it for 84 years, making it the longest-lived bluegrass band and possibly the longest-continuing string band.  The Briarhoppers started in 1934.  The Chuckwagon Gang started in 1935.  Happy birthday to all those who have been in the band.

New Members

The Briarhoppers is proud to announce that Eric Svenson, Dan Hinson, and Allen Shadd are performing with the band, joining Zach Lemhouse and Tom Warlick.

The Briarhoppers has new members!

The WBT Briarhoppers Welcomes Zach Lemhouse and Joe Cline!


The WBT Briarhoppers’ Alana Flowers and Tom Warlick are pleased to announce that Zach Lemhouse and Joe Cline have been added to the band.


Fiddlin’ Zach Lemhouse is from the upcountry of South Carolina and has over 20 years of experience with bands such as Whippoorwill String Band, Easy Pickin's Bluegrass Band, Cottonwood Bluegrass Band, The Buford Brothers old time string band, Quarter House, The Dunder Chiefs, and th...e Truck Stop Preachers, and has opened up for and performed with musicians such as Russell Moore and Third Tyme Out, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Jack Lawrence and country music legend Tim McGraw. Zach is also a teacher within the York County (SC) School System,

Charlottean Joe Cline joins the band as their singer and guitarist, and will assist with mandolin and bass. He has a long history in Charlotte country music; he spent over thirty-five years as guitarist and lead singer of the Kilocycle Kowboys, one of the area’s seminal bluegrass bands that opened for Riders In The Sky and backed county music legends Lulu Belle and Scotty on numerous occasions. He also was a member of Magpye, a local Celtic band, Country Matters, The Red Ball Ranch Hands, and the Dirt Creek Band. Joe has been friends with the Briarhoppers since the days of Don White, Whitey and Hogan, and Shannon Grayson. Many will remember Joe as the announcer for several radio shows on WNCW-Spindale and his work during the formative years at Charlotte's Festival in the Park.



The WBT Briarhoppers formed in 1934 and are the world’s longest-continuing bluegrass band, winning the NC Folk Heritage Award, The Artists Music Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and are members of the WBT Radio Hall of Fame. The North Carolina Legislature recognized the band with “NC Resolution 2007-51, House Joint Resolution 2058 Honoring the WBT Briarhoppers.” The band is members of IBMA and The Charlotte Folk Society, and are Merlefest Artists.


Gibson and Warlick also plan to announce one or two more additions to the band in the near future.

Johnny McAllister!

We have a photo from Maureen DaVolce, daughter of the first Briarhopper Charles Crutchfield hired, Johnny McAllister!  This photo is from the 1960s, a few years before he died.  More information about him will be shared in the publication of the revised Briarhopper book.

The Briarhoppers performed at the Duke Mansion in Charlotte, NC, at the book signing of Jerry Shinn's new book, "Voice of Our Time - Charles Crutchfield."  Left to right is Zach Lemhouse, Tom Warlick, and Alana Flowers.  Joe Cline is seen outside talking up the band.  

MerleFesst 2017!

Here are the Briarhoppers performing at MerleFest 2017.  We enjoyed it and hope the audience did as well.  Many thanks to the MerleFest Team for making this an enjoyable day.

Eleanor Bryan Fields Passes

Eleanor Fields passed away 9/8/16.  She was a member of the band in 1942.
http://www.newsargus.com/obituaries/archives/2016/09/13/eleanor_bryan_fields/

The Briarhoppers' 80th Birthday Concert at the Loonis McGlohon Theater in Charlotte!

Photo by Dan Coston!

At the Grand Ole McCelvey!

Photo by Dan Coston

Come On Out!

Our 80th Birthday Concert!

More Merlefest Photos from Merlefest.com

Check 'em out!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64186505@N08/sets/72157643225075934/

June 7th at The Feed and Seed, Fletcher, NC

The band will perform once again at The Feed & Seed in Fletcher, NC on June 7th, starting at 7PM!


If you have not been there before, The Feed and Seed is a restored feed and seed store in downtown Fletcher and is now one of the places to perform in western North Carolina.  Bands play, people dance, all in a family-friendly atmosphere!  Check out their site and come up the mountain to see us!
http://www.feedandseednc.com/

The Briarhoppers at Merlefest!

One of the first birthday presents to the Briarhoppers was an invite to perform at Merlefest. 
Sharing the same stages as The Kruger Brothers, Peter Rowan, T. Michael Coleman, Jack Lawrence, David Holt, The Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, and many others, the BHoppers performed 3 sets on Saturday, April 26, 2014.  Approximately 80,000 people attended the festival.

Merlefest began in 1988 to honor the memory of Merle Watson, Doc Watson's son who died in a tractor accident in 1985.  The festival was to be a one-time event to raise money for a garden at Wilkes Community College but became a huge success.  The festival is considered one of the largest Americana/bluegrass/old-time music festivals in the world.

We thank Merlefest staff, including Steve Johnson, who treated us and all of the bands royally and we thank all of our fans for coming to our shows!

Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith, a star in his own right, was a part-time member of the Briarhoppers, being on the radio show with the band and performing on the road.  He was with the Briarhoppers as both joined the WBT Hall of Fame in 2007.  He rests at Magnolia Memorial Gardens at Calvary Church in Charlotte, NC. 

80 Years!

Happy birthday to the The Legendary WBT Briarhoppers!

Per Don White, it 80 years ago, March 1, 1934,when a call was made to WBT radio wondering if the station had a "hillbilly" band to promote its products. Since the day that Charles H. Crutchfield lied to get the business, the following are celebrating 80 years as a family:

Charles Crutchfield; Johnny McAllister; Don White; Thorpe Westerfield; Jane Bartlett; Clarence Etters; Bill Davis; Homer Drye; Billie Burton Daniel*; Charlie Davis; Roger Davis; Hank Warren; Gibb Young; Cecil Campbell; Martin Schopp; Harry Blair; Jack Gillette; Jane Leeper; Jean Leeper; Newell Hathcock; Fred Kirby; Claude Casey; Mildred and Floyd; Dewey Price; Eleanor Bryan Fields*; Whitey Grant; Arval Hogan; Shannon Grayson; Homer Christopher; Nat Richardson; Sam Poplin; George "Baby Ray" Stewart; Dave Moody*; Jim Scancarelli*; Homer Sherrill; David Deese; Dwight Moody; Tom Warlick*; Alana Flowers*; Trent Moody*; Hannah Flowers*; Dillon Flowers*; Richard Hollis*; Ellie Flowers*; Donnie Little*.
* = still around!

Hey Billie Burton Daniel, did you think it would last this long? Hit's still "Briarhopper Time."

Thanks to Alana Flowers, Hannah Nicole Flowers, Dillon Flowers, Ellie Flowers, Donnie Little, and Tom Warlick for keeping the tradition alive.

Happy 2014 from The Briarhoppers - Our 80th Year!

Happy Christmas

Throughout the decades, The Briarhoppers has entertained many a folk and many a soldier during its 79 Christmases.  Alana, Hannah, Dillon, Ellie, and Tom wish you a grand Christmas and a happy and safe New Year.  Thank you for your support in 2013; 2014 has more to come!

A Nice Message from Merlefest!

Imagine seeing this while you are checking Facebook!  When you hit the link, just scroll down a bit and you will see what we are talking about.

Yep, hits still Briarhopper Time!

https://www.facebook.com/MerleFest

The Briarhoppers Live at the Feed & Seed!

If you have over an hour to kill and want to relive the Golden Age of Radio, give a look at the following link where the Briarhoppers were filmed at The Feed and Seed in Fletcher, NC!

Fletcher?  Where?  Outside of Asheville near the airport.

Enjoy the music!  Enjoy the dancing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFTmg4W_UWk

Yep, it's true!

RIP Kate Drye Mangum

The Briarhopper members give condolences to the family of Kate Drye Mangum, sister to WBT radio star and BHopper member Homer Drye (Homer A. Briarhopper) and who, in her own right, was a legendary NC musician.

From her obituary:

She was the daughter of Benton and Lunora Drye, mother of Saundra M. Little of New Salem and Larry Mangum of Jacksonville, Florida (wife Christy), and grandmother of Brad Little, Tess Mangum Ocana, Tyra Little Harmon, Jesse Mangum, and Caitlin Mangum. She also was blessed with two great-grandchildren:  Yago and Nicolas Ocana.

Mrs. Mangum was born on the banks of Richardson Creek, near New Salem, in 1926, and lived within a quarter mile of her birthplace until the day of her death.  She and her 7 brothers and sisters were all taught by their father to play stringed instruments, and at age 9, she and her older siblings were offered an opportunity to join a traveling road show.  At their father's request, they chose to come back home and remain loyal to their land and family, although her brother Homer became a founding member of the well-known band called the "Briarhoppers," a rendition of which survives to this very day.

Her love of music lives on through the many students she taught, including her son Larry, her grandson Brad, and country music star Randy Travis.

To her son Larry Briarhopper and his family, we are sad for your loss;  Homer must be a happy soul right now.

MERLEFEST!

 

The Legendary Briarhoppers will perform at North America's premier music festival, Merlefest!

Tentatively, the band will play three shows on April 26, 2014, at the festival which is located on the campus of Wilkes Community College, North Wilkesboro, NC. 

2014 will be the band's 80th year in entertainment and we are proud to be a part of this super-duper festival!

The Briarhoppers was a favorite band of Doc Watson, who started Merlefest in memory of his son, Merle Eddy Watson.  When interviewed for the book, "The WBT Briarhoppers:  Eight Decades of a Bluegrass Band Made For Radio (McFarland, publishers)," Doc Watson said the following:

• "When I was at the NC School of the Blind, a friend of mine snuck in a radio and we would listen to the Briarhoppers on WBT...that and the sound of the train passing by made the day better."

• "When I was a kid, The Briarhoppers were performing in Boone, NC.  I sat on the sidewalk and played for money.  I heard a quarter hit my can.  My friend next to me said, 'Do you know who put that quarter in?  Whitey Grant of The Briarhoppers.'  Later on in the 1980s, I was playing at a festival and The Briarhoppers was there.  I had someone get Whitey and have him come to the trailer where I was.  When Whitey came in, I pulled out that same quarter and said, 'Remember this?  I bet you want this quarter now!"  Whitey said 'I think we made a fine investment in your career!'"

The Briarhopper Band is happy and honored to have been invited to Doc's country.

The Briarhoppers Recognized by NC Bluegrass Pavilion and Merlefest!

The NC Bluegrass Pavilion presented the band this certificate after our performance on the NC Pavilion Stage at IBMA in Raleigh.  Only 28 Carolina-based bluegrass bands received this honor.  The BHoppers would like to thank the Pavilion and Merlefest for sponsoring us at the 2013 World of Bluegrass!

The Briarhoppers Performing At IBMA's North Carolina Bluegrass Pavilion in Raleigh!

Through a sponsorship from Merlefest, The Briarhoppers performed on the NC Bluegrass Pavilion Stage at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh on Sept 28, 2013.  We were happy to have Tess Ocana (Larry Mangum's daughter) and niece of Homer Drye, running the show and having Steve Johnson from Merlefest helping us out.  What was fun was the surprise audience guests who showed up...The Ellis Family that grew up with Tom Briarhopper!  We had a great time and thanks again to Merlefest and the NC Bluegrass Pavilion for letting us perform!