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Local bluegrass picker is homeward bound Date published: 9/17/2009
BY JONAS BEALS Bluegrass musician Mark Newton has built it. Now all he needs is for people to come hear it. On Saturday, Maury Stadium will be the venue for an all-day bluegrass festival starring The Mark Newton Band, Larry Stephenson, Claire Lynch, IIIrd Tyme Out and The Seldom Scene. The "Homecoming Pickin' Party" will be a dream come true for Newton, who lives near Nashville but grew up here. "I played for countless hours on that football field" at JM, he said. "All of us who grew up in Fredericksburg in the '60s and '70s, that was our place to hang out." The event percolated in Newton's mind since 1991--an idea that slowly took shape as his notable music career carried him all over the globe. That's a long way to travel when your own hometown has a significant number of bluegrass fans. Newton figured he could bring the music to Fredericksburg instead. It has been 15 months since he made the decision to start putting the event together. Newton, along with friends Barry Surles and Mike Loving, has made plans, raised funds, advertised, secured permits and worked with countless city officials and businesses to get this far. The only thing left is to pray for good weather. "We were able to present it in a way that people viewed it as a professional event," Newton said. "That was my underlying fear--whether I was going to be able to pull that off. You just hope to present it to the community in such a way that they view it as something that's good for everyone." Newton said he received plenty of advice, much of it suggesting he should branch out from bluegrass to try to draw a broader audience. He understands that impulse and toyed with the idea, but ultimately felt more comfortable working in the genre he knows best. Aside from the list of high-caliber bluegrass acts, the evening will conclude with an all-hands-on-deck all-star jam session, featuring an appearance by the Shiloh Baptist Church (New Site) Men's Choir. Despite that collection of talent, Newton felt that the event wouldn't succeed on music alone. He looked for a worthy cause and found his alma mater: James Monroe High School. "Fredericksburg is a city of events," he said. "Yes, this is a concert, but it's more than that."
Read more stories about Fredericksburg Date published: 9/17/2009
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