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Bluegrass pickin', food, fun: Part of Millbilly history
BY GINA HAMILTON • CONTRIBUTING WRITER
 | | Michelle Nixon |
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MILLBORO - "We play a feast of musical flavors, but we love the old country songs the most," say musicians Ralph Knippa and Walter Baxter of the two-man band Plain and Simple. And musical flavors it will be at the annual Millbilly Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, Sept. 15, in the industrial park off T.C. Walker Road, where the duo will perform with many other musicians.
The festival is hosted by the Millboro Volunteer Fire Association to support its efforts. According to the treasurer, Rhonda Grimm, gates will open at 10 a.m. with musicians on stage from noon until evening. This year, the event will also feature headliners Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and Michelle Nixon and Drive. Local bands will be 220 South, Skyline Boys and the Maury River Bluegrass Band. The job of keeping track of who is performing what and when goes to Chris Neil of Classic High Country WKDW-AM 900 in Staunton, who will serve as master of ceremonies.
"There will be plenty of food available, as the fire department's food booths will reopen for the last time this year," Grimm says.
 | | Doyle Lawson |
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Millbilly has been hosted annually for a long time. "In the past, a local country/bluegrass band would be hired for night entertainment and it was a free event," she said. "For the last three years, it has turned into a full day of bluegrass entertainment."
Grimm said since these featured bands were higher priced, the association had to start charging a per-person fee to help cover expenses. "And with the help of sponsorships, the event becomes a success," she said, noting the association is thankful to American of Virginia, Inc., a local and long-distance moving company, which is sponsoring the festival for the third year.
"The Millbilly is a lot of fun, especially if you like bluegrass pickin'," she said. "It is just as much hard work for one day as it is for four nights of the carnival (held in early August). Our members and support volunteers step up once again for cooking, parking vehicles, and working the gates. Everyone's job is important, because without each and every one, we would not profit."
 | | 220 South |
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Since this is an outdoor event, people are asked to bring their own chairs or blankets. No alcohol or coolers will be allowed on the property.
For those unfamiliar with the industrial park, it is approximately one mile off Route 635 (T.C. Walker Road) in Millboro from Routes 39 and Route 42.
The bands
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver - Lawson said the makeup of his band has changed many times in the last 27 years. "I jokingly tell folks that Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver is the 'farm team' for bluegrass," he said on his web site. "I try to integrate each member's special talents into my group, while not sacrificing the Quicksilver sound." A native of Ford Town, Tenn., he said when he was growing up, just about everyone listened to the Grand Ole Opry, and Lawson was especially taken with the sound of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys. "High lonesome is the term we used for it ... I decided early on that I wanted to play that kind of music," Lawson said. Over the years, he learned to play the mandolin, banjo and guitar. Prior to forming his own group in 1979, he performed in Nashville and Lexington, Ky. Lawson and Quicksilver were named the Vocal Group of the Year for six years, 2001-06, by the International Bluegrass Association.
Michelle Nixon and Drive - Nixon was named the 2006 Vocalist of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. Her Web site notes the Virginia native grew up surrounded by music and joined her first band at the age of 14, singing gospel and classic country music. She formed her band, Drive, in 2002. Later that year, she was part of the album titled, "Daughters of Bluegrass," which featured some of the current top female talents in bluegrass music and won the 2006 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year award.
Skyline Boys - The five-member band is focused on delivering the message of the gospel. They began performing in 1995 at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Skyline Drive. Organizer Dennis Powers felt a calling to organize a group that would present the message of God's love through southern gospel music. Over the years, the band has appeared all over the country, on television and radio. The National Quartet Convention voted to place the group on the main stage for this year's 50th anniversary convention in Louisville, Ky., the highest honor they could have received at the event.
Plain and Simple - From the songs ofW illie Nelson to Hank Williams and Jim Croce, Ralph Knippa and Walter Baxter enjoy playing popular old songs. They say on their web site, "You might call us an acoustic country blues duo - just don't call us late for dinner!" Knippa picks guitar and sings, and Baxter plays harmonica and tambourine.
220 South - This popular local group has members from Monterey to Millboro and is always a crowd-pleaser.
Maury River Bluegrass Band - The band performs at area bluegrass events.
"So come on out, join the fun and be a part of 'Millbilly' history," says Grimm. For information and details on admission, call (540) 939-4246, or (540) 290-1222.
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