Chincoteague Island .Net

The Charlie Sizemore Band will be appearing on-stage at The Chincoteague Center August 14 at 7pm. I will be his first visit to the Eastern Shore and will give all music fans a chance to see one of bluegrass music’s most distinctive and impressive vocal stylist. Charlie Sizemore is also recognized as being one of bluegrass music’s most literate and thoughtful songwriters and performer.
Based in Nashville, where he runs a successful law firm, Sizemore has moved a long way from his roots in Eastern Kentucky since he joined Ralph Stanley’s band at the age of 16, replacing Keith Whitley for the next nine and one half years.
The Rounder recording artist”s  Latest Album “Good News” released exactly two years before his performance date at the Chincoteague Center was in the Bluegrass Unlimited top 15 chart for 11 months and #1 in March 2008. The hits song “Allison’s Band”  was in the top 30 chart for 14 months and #1 in April.May and June 2008.

Charlie Sizemore was raised on Puncheon Creek in Magoffin County Kentucky. The son and grandson of banjo players, he became fascinated by the sounds of bluegrass and mountain music as a child. his first instrument was a fiddle, which he began playing at the age of six. A few years later,Charlie played lead guitar for regional favorite Lum Patton before touring the eastern US with the Goins Brothers Band. He also managed to find time to focus on school and graduated early and near the top of his high school class. At the age of 16 Charlie Joined Ralph Stanley’s band as lead singer. Nine years and more than a dozen Stanley albums later, Charlie formed his own band and entered college.

The Charlie Sizemore Band toured for years and made several critically acclaimed albums. Over the years, he built a large following among fans and performers alike. High esteem within the music industry is demonstrated by the numerous guest who have appeared on his records. These guest include the Oak Ridge Boys, Vern Gosdin, Allison Krauss, Kathy Mattea, Tom T. Hall, JD Crowe and Ralph Stanley.

Along the way, Charlie carved out a formal education, graduating with honors from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Political Science and minor in History. While as undergraduate, he made the deans list every semester.

His recording have been best sellers – “That’s How I Got To Memphis” was a # 1 Single – and he also appeared on the Grammy nominated recordings “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” with his mentor Ralph Stanley and with Tim Austins Grammy nominated “The Stanley Brothers, Tribute to a Bluegrass Legacy.

After College Charlie Moved to Nashville and Wrote Songs for Paul Craft Music. Artist who have recorded his songs include Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin, Doyle Lawson and Del Reeves. During this time, he also attended graduate school, all the while continuing to tour and working for a Nashville law firm. After graduating from law school with honors, he started a solo law practice.

Currently Charlie maintains a demanding and highly successful law practice, writes short stories and songs in his spare time, tours with his band. His current Hit album “Good News” (Rounder Records) contains the # 1 songs “Allison’s Band” , “Whiskey Willie” ,
and “Hard Rock Bottom of My Heart”.

Opening for Sizemore will be a new local band “Blue Marsh” – with Chip Blackwell on Fiddle, guitar and lead vocals, Schuyler V.V. Hurlbut on Bass and Bill Chrisman on Mandolin, banjo andback-up vocals.

For More information or to purchase tickets for the show, call 757 336-0614 or 757 336-3030.