Washington County, Pennsylvania
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location in the U.S.
Founded	March 28, 1781
Seat	Washington
Largest city	Washington
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	861 sq mi (2,230 km²) 857 sq mi (2,220 km²) 4 sq mi (10 km²), 0.45%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	207,820 242/sq mi (93.6/km²)
Website	www.co.washington.pa.us

Washington County is a county located in the US state of Pennsylvania and is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. As of 2010, the population was 207,820. It was created on March 28, 1781, from part of Westmoreland County. Its county seat is Washington^[1]. Both the county and the city were named for American Revolutionary War leader George Washington, later to become the first President of the United States. It was the first county in the United States to be named in his honor.^[2][3] The county is home to Washington County Airport, located three miles (5 km) southwest of Washington, Pennsylvania.

In 2010, Washington County, Pennsylvania celebrated its bicentennial with a concert, speeches, war re-enactments and a street fair atmosphere with tents of vendors and artists.

Geography[link]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 861 square miles (2,230 km²).857 square miles (2,220 km²) of it is land and 4 square miles (10 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.

Adjacent counties[link]

• Beaver County (north)
• Allegheny County (northeast)
• Westmoreland County (east)
• Fayette County (southeast)
• Greene County (south)
• Marshall County, West Virginia (southwest)
• Ohio County, West Virginia (west)
• Brooke County, West Virginia (west)
• Hancock County, West Virginia (northwest)

	Hancock County, West Virginia	Beaver County	Allegheny County
	Brooke County, West Virginia and Ohio County, West Virginia		Westmoreland County
		Washington County, Pennsylvania    East
	Marshall County, West Virginia	Greene County	Fayette County

Government and politics[link]

As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County [7].

• Democratic: 89,027 (58.37%)
• Republican: 49,025 (32.14%)
• Other Parties: 14,482 (9.49%)

View of the historic Washington County Courthouse on a snowy winter day

The County of Washington is governed by a three member publicly elected commission. The three commissioners serve in both executive and legislative capacities. By state law, the commission must have a minority party guaranteeing a political split on the commission. Each term is for four years.

The three current commissioners for Washington County are Lawrence Maggi (Democrat), Diana Irey (Republican), and Harlan G. Shober Jr. (Democrat)

Maggi once ran for the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district against Republican incumbent Tim Murphy in 2002. Irey was the Republican candidate for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district and lost to the popular Democratic incumbent John Murtha in the 2006 election.

The Washington County Court of Common Pleas, the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District of Pennsylvania, is the state trial court, sitting in and for Washington County. It serves as the court of original jurisdiction for the region. There are six judges, which the county's citizens elect to ten year terms, under the laws of the Commonwealth. The President Judge is The Honorable Debbie O'Dell-Seneca; she is the most senior member of the bench and is responsible for the assignment of cases, the court's budget, and the administration of court personnel. The Honorable Judges of the court are:

• Debbie O'Dell-Seneca, P.J.
• Katherine B. Emery, J.
• Paul Pozonsky, J.
• John F. DiSalle, J.
• Janet Moschetta Bell, J.
• Gary Gilman, J.

Additionally, magisterial district judges (MDJs) serve throughout the county to hear traffic citations, issue warrants, and decide minor civil matters.

The Democratic Party has been historically dominant in county-level politics and national politics, however Washington has trended Republican at the national level in recent years. In 2000, Democrat Al Gore won 53% of the vote and Republican George W. Bush won 44%. In 2004, Democrat John Kerry received 50.14% of the vote and Bush received 49.57% a difference of 552 votes. In 2008, Republican John McCain won 51% to Democrat Barack Obama's 46% and each of the three state row office winners carried Washington County.

[edit] Presidential election results since 1960^{[citation needed]}

Another sign of growing strength for the Republican party was the overwhelming victory of now District Attorney Steven Toprani in 2007. Toprani won by a nearly 2 to 1 margin over 24 year incumbent John Pettit, who was dogged by accusations of corruption.[8] In 2011, Toprani retired and was replaced by Republican Eugene Vittone in a close election.

County row offices[link]

• Clerk of Courts, Barbara Gibbs, Democrat
• Controller, Michael Namie, Democrat
• Coroner, Timothy Warco, Democrat
• District Attorney, Eugene Vittone, Republican
• Prothonotary, Phyllis Ranko-Matheny, Democrat
• Recorder of Deeds, Deborah Bardella, Democrat
• Register of Wills, Mary Jo Poknis, Democrat
• Sheriff, Samuel Romano, Democrat
• Treasurer, Francis L. King, Democrat

State Representatives[link]

• Richard Saccone, Republican, 39th district
• John A. Maher, Republican, 40th district
• Jesse J. White, Democrat, 46th district
• Brandon P. Neuman, Democrat, 48th district
• Peter Daley, Democrat, 49th district
• H. William DeWeese, Democrat, 50th district

State Senators[link]

• Rich Kasunic, Democrat, 32nd district
• Timothy Solobay, Democrat, 46th district

US Representatives[link]

• Mark Critz, Democrat, 12th district
• Tim Murphy, Republican, 18th district

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 202,897 people, 81,130 households, and 56,060 families residing in the county. The population density was 237 people per square mile (91/km²). There were 87,267 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile (39/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.27% White, 3.26% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.3% were of German, 17.2% Italian, 10.6% Irish, 8.6% English, 7.9% Polish and 6.2% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 81,130 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 10.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the county, the population was spread out with 22.20% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.00 males.

As of 1800, this county was largely settled by people of Scot-Irish religion because "prime lands" were already taken by the Germans and the Quakers.

Landmarks and events[link]

The F. Julius LeMoyne House serves as the headquarters of the Washington County Historical Society.

Washington County is the home of the PONY Baseball and Softball International Headquarters^[7] and is the home of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.^[8] Washington County is also famous for its Rock Shelters at Meadowcroft Village, which are one of the best preserved and oldest Pre-Clovis Native American dwellings in the country.^[9] The county has 21 covered bridges still standing.^[10]

The Whiskey Rebellion culminated in Washington. The home of David Bradford, one of the rebellions leaders, is located in Washington and is a national landmark.^[11] Just a couple blocks away is the F. Julius LeMoyne House, which serves as the headquarters of the Washington County Historical Society.

Washington County is the home of the first crematory in the United States.^[12][13]

Municipalities[link]

Map of Washington County, Pennsylvania with municipal labels showing cities and boroughs (red), townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Washington County:

Cities[link]

• Monongahela
• Washington

Boroughs[link]

Townships[link]

Census-designated places[link]

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law.

Other places[link]

• Bulger
• Condit Crossing
• Courtney
• Eighty Four

Education[link]

Map of Washington County, Pennsylvania School Districts

Public school districts[link]

• Avella Area School District
• Bentworth School District
• Bethlehem-Center School District
• Brownsville Area School District (also in Fayette County)
• Burgettstown Area School District
• California Area School District
• Canon-McMillan School District
• Charleroi School District
• Chartiers-Houston School District
• Fort Cherry School District (also in Allegheny County)
• McGuffey School District
• Peters Township School District
• Ringgold School District
• Trinity Area School District
• Washington School District

Colleges and universities[link]

• California University of Pennsylvania in California Borough
• Community College of Allegheny County Washington branch in North Franklin Township
• Washington & Jefferson College in the City of Washington and East Washington Borough
• Waynesburg University- Southpointe Center Campus in Canonsburg.^[14]

Hospitals[link]

• Canonsburg General Hospital, part of West Penn Allegheny Health System in North Strabane Township
• Monongahela Valley Hospital in Carroll Township
• The Washington Hospital in the City of Washington

Notable people[link]

• John Alexander Anderson, born in Washington County, United States Congressman from Kansas^[15]
• Kurt Angle (1968–present), resided in Canonsburg, Olympic gold medalist and Professional wrestler
• James G. Blaine (1830–1893), native of West Brownsville, United States Secretary of State, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and 1884 Republican presidential nominee
• David Bradford, born in Maryland 1760 and resided in Washington, early deputy attorney-general for Washington County, became a leader in the Whiskey Rebellion challenging the nascent U.S. federal government^[16]
• Alexander G. Clark (1826–1891), born in Washington County, "The Colored Orator of the West", Minister to Liberia 1890–1891^[17][18]
• William J. Carson (1840–1913), Civil War Medal of Honor recipient, 1863^[19][20]
• Perry Como (1912–2001), native of Canonsburg, recording artist and television performer
• Mitch Daniels (1949–present), native of Monongahela, current Governor of Indiana
• Justine Ezarik (1984–present), YouTube personality and actress
• Alexander Fulton (unknown-died ca. 1818), founder of Alexandria, Louisiana^[21]
• Ken Griffey, Jr. (1969–present), native of Donora, Major League Baseball player
• Ken Griffey, Sr. (1950–present), native of Donora, Major League Baseball player
• Joseph Hardy (1924–present), former resident of Eighty Four, philanthropist, former CEO and founder of 84 Lumber
• Pete Henry (1897–1952), NFL player/coach, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Shirley Jones (1934–present), native of Charleroi, best known for her role as the mother of the Partridge Family and winning an Academy Award.
• Francis Julius LeMoyne (1798–1879) abolitionist and pioneer of cremation in the U.S.
• Jonathan Letterman (1824–1872), native of Canonsburg, Father of Battlefield Medicine and Civil War surgeon
• William Henry Letterman (1832–1881), native of Canonsburg, co-founder of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, surgeon, and brother of Jonathan Letterman
• Jay Livingston (1915–2001), native of McDonald, Oscar-winning songwriter
• William Holmes McGuffey (1800–1873), native of the western side of the county, famous educator and writer of McGuffey's Ecletic Readers – one of America's first text books
• Joe Montana (1956–present), native of Monongahela, National Football League player
• Stan Musial (1920–present), native of Donora, Major League Baseball player
• Deborah Jeane Palfrey (1956–2008), native of Charleroi, "The D.C. Madam"
• David Redick (died 1805), Vice-President (Lt. Governor) of Pennsylvania for three weeks in 1788; surveyor—laid out the town of Washington.
• Paul Shannon (1909–1990), radio and television personality
• Bobby Vinton (1935–present), native of Canonsburg, recording artist
• Bud Yorkin (1926–present), American film and television producer, director, writer and actor.

See also[link]

• List of municipal authorities in Washington County, Pennsylvania

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Washington County, Pennsylvania

• Washington County Web Site
• History & Genealogy in Washington County, PA
• History of Townships in Washington County, PA
• History of Washington County, Pennsylvania
• Citizens of Washington County (Deaths and Obituaries)

v t e Municipalities and communities of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States County seat: Washington Cities Monongahela Washington Boroughs Allenport Beallsville Bentleyville Burgettstown California Canonsburg Centerville Charleroi Claysville Coal Center Cokeburg Deemston Donora Dunlevy East Washington Elco Ellsworth Finleyville Green Hills Houston Long Branch Marianna McDonald‡ Midway New Eagle North Charleroi Roscoe Speers Stockdale Twilight West Brownsville West Middletown Townships Amwell Blaine Buffalo Canton Carroll Cecil Chartiers Cross Creek Donegal East Bethlehem East Finley Fallowfield Hanover Hopewell Independence Jefferson Morris Mount Pleasant North Bethlehem North Franklin North Strabane Nottingham Peters Robinson Smith Somerset South Franklin South Strabane Union West Bethlehem West Finley West Pike Run CDPs Baidland Cecil-Bishop Fredericktown-Millsboro Gastonville McGovern McMurray Thompsonville Wickerham Manor-Fisher Wolfdale Unincorporated communities Amity Avella Blainsburg Bulger Condit Crossing Eighty Four Fallowfield Glyde Laboratory Langeloth North Fredericktown Paris Prosperity Raccoon Richeyville Scenery Hill Slovan Studa Taylorstown West Alexander Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e  Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Harrisburg (capital) Topics Cities Politics Government Delegations History Geography Geology Pennsylvanians State parks Symbols Visitor attractions Metro areas Altoona Philadelphia Erie Harrisburg–Carlisle Johnstown Lancaster Lebanon Lehigh Valley New York Pittsburgh Reading State College Williamsport Scranton‑Wilkes-Barre York-Hanover Cities Allentown Altoona Bethlehem Chester DuBois Easton Erie Greensburg Harrisburg Hazleton Johnstown Lancaster Lebanon McKeesport New Castle Philadelphia Pittsburgh Pottsville Reading Scranton Sunbury Wilkes-Barre Williamsport York Largest municipalities Baldwin Berwick Bethel Park Brentwood Carlisle Chambersburg Columbia Darby Dunmore Elizabethtown Emmaus Ephrata Franklin Park Hanover Indiana Kingston Lansdale Lansdowne Monroeville Munhall Murrysville Norristown Penn Hills Phoenixville Plum Pottstown State College West Chester West Mifflin Whitehall Wilkinsburg Wyomissing Yeadon Regions Allegheny Mountains Allegheny National Forest Allegheny Plateau Atlantic Coastal Plain Blue Ridge Coal Region Cumberland Valley Delaware Valley Dutch Country Endless Mountains Happy Valley Laurel Highlands Lehigh Valley Main Line Northeast Northern Tier Northwestern Oil Region Pennsylvania Highlands Piedmont The Poconos Ridge and Valley South Central Susquehanna Valley Western Wyoming Valley Counties Adams Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bedford Berks Blair Bradford Bucks Butler Cambria Cameron Carbon Centre Chester Clarion Clearfield Clinton Columbia Crawford Cumberland Dauphin Delaware Elk Erie Fayette Forest Franklin Fulton Greene Huntingdon Indiana Jefferson Juniata Lackawanna Lancaster Lawrence Lebanon Lehigh Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mercer Mifflin Monroe Montgomery Montour Northampton Northumberland Perry Philadelphia Pike Potter Schuylkill Snyder Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Tioga Union Venango Warren Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming York

Coordinates: 40°11′N 80°15′W / 40.19°N 80.25°W / 40.19; -80.25

Nothin' Fancy
"Entertaining Group Of The Year" 35th Annual National SPBGMA Awards February 5, 2009
Background information
Origin	Timberville, Virginia, United States Buena Vista, Virginia Lexington, Virginia Manassas, Virginia
Genres	Folk Country Americana Bluegrass
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Pinecastle Records
Website	Official Site
Members
Mike Andes Mitchell Davis Gary Farris Chris Sexton Tony Shorter
Past members
Buster Sexton Frankie Hawkins Darin Lawrence Bill Ledbetter

Nothin' Fancy is a bluegrass band based in Buena Vista, VA and was formed in September 1994. The band's history is traceable to its parent band called East Coast Bluegrass Band, which was formed in Summer of 1985 with the purpose of competing in the East Coast Bluegrass Championship in Crimora, Virginia.^[1]

History[link]

East Coast Bluegrass Band[link]

The East Coast Bluegrass Band, the group which would evolve into Nothin' Fancy, had its roots firmly planted in Virginia musical traditions. After winning the eponymous contest for which they were both formed and named intentionally—the East Coast Bluegrass Championship in Crimora, Virginia—it seemed counterproductive to change the name of the band, which continued to play together at local functions. In 1986 the group won the Virginia Folk Music Society State Bluegrass Band Championship.^[2] The members of the band began to try their hands at producing original material but remained true to the traditional sounds of the great bluegrass bands of the 1940s and '50s.^[2]

The line-up of the band at the time of "Life's Mysteries" 1998 release was Buster Sexton on banjo, Mike Andes on mandolin, Frankie Hawkins on guitar, Darin Lawrence on rhythm guitar, Bill Ledbetter on bass, and Buster's son Chris Sexton on fiddle. The younger Sexton joined the group at the last minute as a replacement for Mitchell Davis, who left the group in May 1997.

May 31, 2007

Name change[link]

A new group had been formed in 1994 called Nothin' Fancy. Mike Andes and Mitchell Davis (now on banjo) joined forces with Gary Farris on guitar, Tony Shorter on bass, and Guy Carawan on fiddle to play the same East Coast Bluegrass Championship in September 1994 that East Coast Bluegrass Band had once played almost a decade earlier. Nothin' Fancy released their first project "Bluegrass in a Plain Brown Wrapper" shortly afterwards, but Carawan left the group shortly after the release, and the group continued as a quartet.

Nothin' Fancy and East Coast Bluegrass Band continued to coexist until 2000 when East Coast Bluegrass Band's members drifted apart and had to reorganize. Andes had been doing double-duty with both groups and eventually chose to work with Nothin' Fancy solely. Chris Sexton, who had appeared with Nothin' Fancy for their first-place victory in the band competition at the Maury River Fiddler's Convention in 1998 and recorded as a guest fiddler on the band's second and third releases ("Earn Your Ticket" and "Field of Dreams," respectively), officially became the newest member of Nothin' Fancy in 2000. The fourth project, "Now and Then" is the first album to feature the five-piece group as it is today.

Shorter departed from the group in 2005, and was replaced by Eli Johnston of Branson, MO. Nothin' Fancy released "Album #7" under Pinecastle with Johnston and featured him as the lead vocal on the song "Tupelo County Jail," but Johnston only stayed with the group for 13 months. Citing artistic differences, he left the group and joined the band Pine Mountain Railroad. Nothin' Fancy's members called Shorter back into service in time for the 6th Annual Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Festival. Shorter, who at the time was playing bass for country star Keith Bryant, happily agreed and the band was re-united with its original cast and has stayed as such since.

Recordings[link]

East Coast Bluegrass Band released four self-produced albums. They then contracted Tim Austin of Doobie Shea Studios to produce and record the project. Recording began in February 1996. Later that spring, lightning struck and destroyed the studio and all the recorded sessions. Once it was up and running again they were one of the first acts to record in the new studio.^[2] After four albums, thirteen years, and hundreds of performances, the band released their first nationally-distributed recording project, Life's Mysteries on Copper Creek Records.^[2]

The group, now appearing as Nothin' Fancy, was approached by Pinecastle Records and signed to the label in 2002. They recorded their fifth project, "Once Upon a Road" with the title song written for the band by Tom T. Hall and his wife Dixie. "Once Upon a Road" rose to number 10 on the Bluegrass Charts as posted by Bluegrass Unlimited. Their bluegrass gospel song "When the Angels Take My Hand" rose to the Number 1 spot on the Bluegrass Gospel charts as posted by (the now-defunct) Bluegrass Now magazine. The album also earned them a showcase at the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Convention in October 2002 and a nomination for the IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year Award.

Their sixth album, "Reflections," was a much more personal album, with Andes penning 10 of the 13 songs. It featured the novelty single "I Met My Baby in the Porta-John Line" as a bonus track, also by Andes. "Reflections" was not as commercially successful as "Once Upon a Road," but it was from these two albums and the performances from this period that Nothin' Fancy had found its highly unique voice, which paid homage to bands such as the Country Gentlemen and the Seldom Scene. The late Charlie Waller, a founding member of the Country Gentlemen who went on to lead that group until his death in 2004, met with Andes at the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America annual convention and learned the song "Heaven Got an Angel" from Andes (that was recorded originally on "Field of Dreams") and recorded it on the Country Gentlemen album "Cryin' in the Chapel."

Their eighth album, Lord Bless This House, the first all-gospel recording for the group, was officially released January 27, 2009 through Pinecastle. Co-produced by Grammy-nominated bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent and her brother Darrin Vincent (of Dailey and Vincent fame) with guest appearances from the both of them, it is frequently played on Sirius XM Radio's Bluegrass Junction station, along with other selections from their discography.

Performance[link]

East Coast Bluegrass Band paid their dues at lawn parties and bars in and around the Harrisonburg, Virginia area and the Charlottesville, Virginia area for many years. In years since, the band has played the Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville,^[3] and with the "Bluegrass Series with Rhonda Vincent & Nothin' Fancy".^[4] They have played such other major venues as Lincoln Center in New York City, and The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. Nothin’ Fancy plays about 140 shows a year and is a staple on the bluegrass festival circuit.^[5] The band has been known to take fans on bus trips to festivals and accompanying them on bluegrass cruises aboard the Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises.^[6]

Musical style and sound[link]

The band seeks to remain "true to the traditional sounds of the great bluegrass bands of the 1940s and '50s",^[2] while also performing and recording original songs by their prolific songwriter, lead singer Mike Andes. Classic bluegrass material draws from Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, the Country Gentlemen, and the Seldom Scene; but song selection ranges from original material to gospel classics to covers of pop artists such as Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Withers, Bob Dylan, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

In live performance Nothin' Fancy has been noted for its strong vocals, five-part arrangements, and its high-energy shows well-seasoned with humor. The quintet gathers around one microphone, employing a shell-game choreography for solos and back-up which keeps the show visually active as well as aurally pleasing. Andes' clear singing style is attributed to the unique stylings of Charlie Waller, whose earthy bass-baritone voice sang with clear enunciation. Farris sings a bold tenor harmony remarkable for its projection; his powerful delivery has been likened to the late John Duffey of the Seldom Scene. Shorter occasionally sings baritone harmonies an octave higher, while Davis lends a rumbly bass to the mix, especially on gospel songs.

Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Festival[link]

In 2001, a Rockbridge County entrepreneur, Morris O'Shields, created a bluegrass festival at the Glen Maury Park, the site of the Maury River Fiddler's Convention where Nothin' Fancy won its victory three years before. The festival was named for Nothin' Fancy, who have served as the host act in years since.^[7] Just as the band originally named itself after the first music festival in which it competed—subsequently winning the prize—it then had a music festival, whose competition it had also won, subsequently named for it.

The so-named festival has become a much-loved annual event that brings scores of bluegrass fans to the Shenandoah Valley and to the little town of Buena Vista, VA, where Farris calls home (and from which the band operates). Held each year at the Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista, Virginia, the festival has perennially played host to major bluegrass bands. The 2008 festival, for example, included such names as Rhonda Vincent, Michelle Nixon, Blue Mountain Sunrise, The Deer Creek Boys, Randy Waller & the Country Gentlemen, Blue Moon Rising, and the Gary Waldrep Band.^[8] It has also hosted bands and artists such as IIIrd Tyme Out, the Lonesome River Band, Missy Raines, Marty Raybon, The Dillards, the Lewis Family, Goldwing Express, Larry Stephenson, Mark Newton, and Charlie Sizemore.

Discography[link]

• "Bluegrass In A Plain Brown Wrapper" (1997)
• "Life's Mysteries" (1998) East Coast Bluegrass Band Copper Creek Records — ASIN: B000008UO6
• "Coffee at Midnight", Chris Sexton solo project, Pinecastle Records
• "Earn Your Ticket" (1999)
• "Field Of Dreams" (2000)
• "Now And Then" (2001)
• "Once Upon A Road" (2002) Pinecastle Records — ASIN: B000067IRZ
• "Reflections" (2004) Pinecastle Records — ASIN: B0002NRR5G
• "Album #7" (2006) Pinecastle Records — ASIN: B000H4JH12
• "Lord Bless This House" (2008) Pinecastle Records — ASIN: B001NH4CPI

Awards, distinctions, and honors[link]

• Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards:
  • "Entertaining Group Of The Year" at the 36th Annual National SPBGMA Awards February 2010.^[9]
  • "Entertaining Group Of The Year" at the 35th Annual National SPBGMA Awards February 2009.^[10]
  • "Entertaining Group Of The Year" at the 34th Annual National SPBGMA Awards February 2008.^[11]
• September 25, 2010 was named "Nothin' Fancy Day" by order of the mayor of Buena Vista, Virginia.
• Named as "Honorary Mountaineers" by order of Governor Joe Manchin III of West Virginia while playing a benefit concert in 2007 in Weston, W. Va., for the Lewis County Blue Brass Band to raise funds for student instruments. The governor commended them for “demonstrating an expression of good will and respect for the people of the Mountain State.”^[12]
• Once Upon A Road earned them a showcase at the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Convention October 2002 and a nomination for the 14th annual IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year Award (2003).^[13]
• Winner at the 1998 Maury River Fiddler's Convention.
• Winner at the 1986 Virginia Folk Music Society State Bluegrass Band Championship (as East Coast Bluegrass Band).
• Winner at the 1985 East Coast Bluegrass championship (as East Coast Bluegrass Band).

Members[link]

• Mike Andes--mandolin/vocals
• Mitchell Davis--banjo/vocals
• Gary Farris--guitar/vocals
• Chris Sexton--fiddle/vocals
• Tony Shorter--bass/vocals

Reviews, articles, notices[link]

• BluegrassJournal.com "Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival kicks off Sept. 25 for 3 day run" by Travis Tackett, September 10, 2008.
• Cybergrass "SPBGMA Entertaining Group Of The Year Nothin' Fancy To Host Bluegrass Fest" September 10, 2008.
• BluegrassJournal.com "Nothin’ Fancy takes top award at SPBGMA Convention" by Travis Tackett, February 4, 2008.
• Lincoln Journal Star "Members of Nothin’ Fancy tell bluegrass listeners to expect something different" by L. Kent Wolgamott, September 28, 2007.
• Daily News Record "New Grass King Sam Bush, Nothin’ Fancy To Visit Shenandoah Valley Music Festival" posted 2007-08-30.
• Bluegrass Works review "Nothin' Fancy - Reflections (CD, 2004)" by Jason Hooker, 09/03/2004.
• Bluegrass Works interview "Nothin' Fancy" with Loretta Sawyer, 03/25/2004.
• Bluegrass Works review "Nothin' Fancy - Once Upon A Road (CD, 2002)" by Lewis Geffen, 06/01/2004.
• Bluegrass Country profile "October 2004: Nothin’ Fancy".
• Rockbridge Weekly "Virginia Based Bluegrass Band Nothin' Fancy Garners National Music Award".

See also[link]

• Bluegrass music
• Shenandoah Valley
• Country Gentlemen
• Seldom Scene
• Rhonda Vincent
• Grand Ole Opry
• International Bluegrass Music Association
• Nashville, Tennessee

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website Nothin' Fancy
• Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Festival
• Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America official webpage
• Sam Hill Entertainment band description
• Pinecastle Records Artist Press Kit.
• Official website Rhonda Vincent.

v t e Bluegrass music Typical instruments Acoustic guitar · Banjo · Dobro · Fiddle · Mandolin · Upright bass Stylistic origins Blues · Country music · Folk music · Old-time music Sub- and fusion genres Traditional bluegrass · Progressive bluegrass · Bluegrass gospel · Czech bluegrass Notable festivals Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom Festival · California Bluegrass Association Father's Day Bluegrass Festival · Delfest · Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival · High Sierra Music Festival · Kentucky Festival of the Bluegrass · Merlefest · San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival · South Carolina State Bluegrass Festival · River City Bluegrass Festival · Rockygrass · Telluride Bluegrass Festival · Wintergrass Other International Bluegrass Music Museum · International Bluegrass Music Association · International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame · Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America · Bluegrass Unlimited Category · Portal

Arlo Guthrie
Guthrie performs during his Alice's Restaurant Massacree 40th Anniversary Tour (2005).
Background information
Birth name	Arlo Davy Guthrie
Born	(1947-07-10) July 10, 1947 (age 64) Coney Island, New York, U.S.
Genres	Folk, blues
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	guitar harmonica piano
Years active	1967–present
Labels	Rising Son Records
Associated acts	Shenandoah Pete Seeger Woody Guthrie
Website	Arlo.net

Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer.^[1] Like his late father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice. One of Guthrie's better-known works is "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a satirical talking blues song about 18 minutes in length.

Early life[link]

Arlo Guthrie was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of folk singer and composer Woody Guthrie and his wife Marjorie Mazia Guthrie. His sister is Nora Guthrie. His mother was a one-time professional dancer with the Martha Graham Company and founder of the Committee to Combat Huntington's disease, the disease that took Woody's life in 1967. His maternal grandmother was renowned Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt.^[2] His father was from a Protestant family and his mother was Jewish;^[3] Guthrie received religious training for his bar mitzvah from Rabbi Meir Kahane, who would go on to form the Jewish Defense League. "Rabbi Kahane was a really nice, patient teacher," Guthrie later recalled, "but shortly after he started giving me my lessons, he started going haywire. Maybe I was responsible."^[4] Guthrie attended Woodward School in Clinton Hill Brooklyn 1st through 8th grades and later graduated from the Stockbridge School, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1965, and briefly attended Rocky Mountain College. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Westfield State College, in 2008.

As a singer, songwriter and lifelong political activist, Guthrie carries on the legacy of his legendary father. He was awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award on September 26, 1992.^[5]

"Alice's Restaurant"[link]

His most famous work is "Alice's Restaurant Massacree", a talking blues song that lasts 18 minutes and 34 seconds in its original recorded version. Guthrie has pointed out that this was also the exact length of one of the famous gaps in Richard Nixon's Watergate tapes. He has been known to spin the story out to forty-five minutes in concert. The Alice in the song is Alice Brock, who had been librarian at Arlo's boarding school in town before opening her restaurant, and who now runs an art gallery^[6] in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

The song lampoons the Vietnam War draft. However, Guthrie stated in a 2009 interview with Ron Bennington that the song is more an "anti-stupidity" song than an anti-war song, adding that it is based on a true incident. In the song, Guthrie is called up for a draft examination, and rejected as unfit for military service as a result of a criminal record consisting in its entirety of a single arrest, court appearance, fine, and clean-up order for littering and creating a public nuisance on Thanksgiving Day in 1965, when Arlo was 18 years old. Alice and her restaurant make up the recurrent refrain, but barely figure in the story. On the DVD commentary for the 1969 movie, Guthrie states that the events presented in the song all actually happened.

For a short period of time after its release in 1967, "Alice's Restaurant" was heavily played on U.S. college and counter-culture radio stations. It became a symbol of the late 1960s and for many it defined an attitude and lifestyle that were lived out across the country in the ensuing years. Its leisurely, sassy finger-picking acoustic guitar and rambling lyrics were widely memorized and played by irreverent youth. Many stations across the States have made playing "Alice's Restaurant" a Thanksgiving Day tradition.

A 1969 film, directed and co-written by Arthur Penn, was based on the true story told in the song, but with the addition of a large number of fictional scenes. This film, also called Alice's Restaurant, featured Arlo portraying himself. The part of his father Woody Guthrie, who had died in 1967, was played by an actor, Joseph Boley.^[7]

Despite its popularity, the song "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" is not always featured on the set list of any given performance.

Music career and critical reception[link]

From The Guthrie Family Legacy Tour 2007

The "Alice's Restaurant" song was one of a few very long songs to become popular just when albums began replacing hit singles as young people's main music listening. But in 1972 Guthrie had a highly successful single too, Steve Goodman's song "City of New Orleans", a wistful paean to long-distance passenger rail travel. Guthrie's first trip on that train was in December 2005 (when his family joined other musicians on a train trip across the country to raise money for musicians financially devastated by Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, in the South of the United States). He also had a minor hit with his song "Coming into Los Angeles," which was played at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and success with a live version of "The Motorcycle Song."

Guthrie's 1976 album Amigo received a 5-star (highest rating) from Rolling Stone, and may be his best-received work; unfortunately that milestone album, like Guthrie's earlier Warner Bros. Records albums, is rarely heard today even though each boasts compelling folk and folk rock music accompanied by top-notch musicians such as Ry Cooder.

A number of musicians from a variety of genres have joined Guthrie onstage, including Pete Seeger, David Bromberg, Cyril Neville, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Judy Collins, John Prine, Wesley Gray, Josh Ritter, and others.

Shenandoah[link]

In the fall of 1975 during a benefit concert in Massachusetts, Arlo Guthrie performed with his band Shenandoah in public for the first time. They continued to tour and record throughout the 1970s until the early 1990s.^[1] Although the band received good reviews, it never gained the popularity that Guthrie did while playing solo.

This band is not to be confused with the popular country music group Shenandoah, an entirely different group that had musical hits from 1986 to 2006. Arlo Guthrie's band Shenandoah consisted (after 1976) of David Grover, Steve Ide, Carol Ide, Terry A La Berry and Dan Velika.^[8]

Acting[link]

Though Guthrie is best known for being a musician, singer, and composer, throughout the years he has also appeared as an actor in films and on television. The film Alice's Restaurant (1969) is his best known role, but he has had small parts in several films and even co-starred in a television drama, Byrds of Paradise.

Guthrie has had minor roles in several movies and television series. Usually, he has appeared as himself, often performing music and/or being interviewed about the 1960s, folk music and various social causes. His television appearances have included a broad range of programs from The Muppet Show (1979) to Politically Incorrect (1998).^[9] A rare dramatic film part was in the 1992 movie Roadside Prophets. Guthrie's memorable appearance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival was documented in the Michael Wadleigh film Woodstock.^[1]

Guthrie also made a pilot for a TV variety show called "The Arlo Guthrie Show" in February, 1987. The hour-long program included story telling and musical performances and was filmed in Austin, Texas. It was broadcast nationally on PBS. Special guests were Pete Seeger, Bonnie Raitt, David Bromberg and Jerry Jeff Walker.^{[citation needed]}

Politics[link]

A registered Republican, Guthrie endorsed Texas Congressman Ron Paul for the 2008 Republican Party nomination. He said, "I love this guy. Dr. Paul is the only candidate I know of who would have signed the Constitution of the United States had he been there. I'm with him, because he seems to be the only candidate who actually believes it has as much relevance today as it did a couple of hundred years ago. I look forward to the day when we can work out the differences we have with the same revolutionary vision and enthusiasm that is our American legacy."^[10] He told The New York Times Magazine that he is a Republican because, "We had enough good Democrats. We needed a few more good Republicans. We needed a loyal opposition."^[11]

About once a month, Guthrie posts short writings to the Announcements area of www.arlo.net, often sounding libertarian themes. However, on February 1, 2011, his post was to promote the cause of the public employee unions being opposed by Wisconsin Republicans, and to favor the cause of labor unions in general. Previously Guthrie had made comments in public disparaging musicians' unions and stating that he had refused to join one.^[12]

In earlier years, at least from the 1960s to the 1980s, Guthrie had taken a decidedly leftist approach to American politics. In his often lengthy comments during concerts his expressed positions were consistently anti-war, anti-Nixon, pro-drugs and in favor of making nuclear power illegal. However, he apparently regarded himself as more an individualist than the major youth culture spokesperson he had been regarded as by the media, as evidenced by the lyrics in his 1979 song "Prologue": "I can remember all of your smiles during the demonstrations, ... and together we sang our victory songs though we were worlds apart."^[13]

In 1984, he was the featured celebrity in George McGovern's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in Guthrie's home state of Massachusetts, performing at rallies and receptions.^[14][15]

Legacy[link]

Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Guthrie often sings songs of protest against social injustice. He collaborated with poet Adrian Mitchell to tell the story of Chilean folk singer and activist Víctor Jara in song. He regularly performed with folk legend Pete Seeger, one of his father's longtime partners. Ramblin' Jack Elliott, who had lived for two years in the Guthries' home before Arlo left for boarding school, had absorbed Woody's style perhaps better than anyone; Arlo has been said to have credited Elliott for passing it along to him.

In 1991, Guthrie bought the church that had served as Alice and Ray Brock's former home in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and converted it to the Guthrie Center, an interfaith meeting place that serves people of all religions. The center provides weekly free lunches in the community and support for families living with HIV/AIDS as well as other life-threatening illnesses. It also hosts a summertime concert series and Guthrie does six or seven fund raising shows there every year. There are several annual events such as the Walk-A-Thon to Cure Huntington's Disease and a "Thanksgiving Dinner That Can't Be Beat" for families, friends, doctors and scientists who live and work with Huntington's disease.^[16]

Family[link]

Guthrie and his wife Jackie reside in the Town of Washington, Massachusetts. Guthrie's son Abe Guthrie and his daughters Sarah Lee Guthrie and Cathy Guthrie have also become musicians. Annie Guthrie writes songs and performs, and also takes care of family touring details. Sarah Lee performs and records with her husband Johnny Irion. Cathy plays ukulele in Folk Uke, a group she formed with Amy Nelson, the daughter of Willie Nelson. Abe Guthrie was formerly in a folk-rock band called Xavier, and now tours with his father. Abe Guthrie's son, Krishna, is a drummer and toured with Arlo Guthrie on his European tour in 2006^{[citation needed]} and played guitar for the 2009–2010 Tour. Krishna plays drums in Modest Me and aspires to be the lead of his own band some day. Arlo Guthrie is a grandfather of Abe's son Krishna and daughter Serena, Annie's son Shiva Das (Mo) and daughter Jacklyn, Sarah Lee's daughters Olivia Nora and Sophia Irion and Cathy's daughter Marjorie Maybelle Midwood.

In fiction[link]

Arlo Guthrie is mentioned in Tim Winton's novel The Riders – shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1995. A character in the novel overhears locals in the small Irish town of Shinrone, recount the night Arlo Guthrie came to play. The actual event occurred in February 1988, when Arlo played the local gymnasium in Shinrone, County Offaly. The concert was organised by a local postman, Tom Stapleton.

Works[link]

Discography[link]

• Alice's Restaurant (1967)
• Arlo (1968)
• Running Down the Road (1969)
• Alice's Restaurant Soundtrack (1969)
• Washington County (1970)
• Hobo's Lullaby (1972)
• Last of the Brooklyn Cowboys (1973)
• Arlo Guthrie (1974)
• Together In Concert (1975), with Pete Seeger (2 record set), Warner/Reprise
• Amigo (1976)
• The Best of Arlo Guthrie (1977)
• One Night (1978)
• Outlasting the Blues (1979)
• Power Of Love (1981)
• Precious Friend (1981), with Pete Seeger (2 record set), Warner/Reprise
• Someday (1986)
• All Over the World (1991)
• Son of the Wind (1992)
• 2 Songs (1992)
• More Together Again (1993), with Pete Seeger (2 record set)
• Alice's Restaurant (The Massacree Revisited) (1996)
• Mystic Journey (1996)
• This Land Is Your Land: An All American Children's Folk Classic (1997)
• Till We Outnumber 'Em (2000) - various artists, live program hosted by Arlo
• Banjoman: a tribute to Derroll Adams (2002)
• Live In Sydney (2005)
• In Times Like These (2007)
• 32¢ Postage Due (2008)
• Tales Of '69 (2009)^[1]

Select filmography[link]

• Alice's Restaurant (1969)
• Renaldo and Clara (1978)
• Baby's Storytime (1989)
• Roadside Prophets (1992)

Notable television guest appearances[link]

• Beat Club (episode # 1.52) February 28, 1970
• Byrds of Paradise (1994)
• Relativity December 29, 1996
• Renegade in episode: "Top Ten with a Bullet" (episode # 5.14) January 24, 1997
• Rich Man, Poor Man: Book 2 2 episodes, 1976
• The fourth season of The Muppet Show.

Film and television composer[link]

• Alice's Restaurant (1969) (song "The Alice's Restaurant Massacree")
• Woodstock (1970) (song "Coming Into Los Angeles" – the song heard on the officially released soundtrack recording was not played at the Woodstock festival. Rather, it is a recording of a previous live presentation.)
• Clay Pigeon (1971) also known as Trip to Kill (UK)
• Baby's Storytime (1989)

Producer[link]

• Isn't This a Time! A Tribute Concert for Harold Leventhal (2004)

Writer[link]

• Mooses Come Walking (2004) (children's book)^[17]

Appearances as himself[link]

• Hylands hörna (episode # 4.4) January 31, 1970
• Woodstock (1969) (also known as Woodstock 25th Anniversary Edition and as Woodstock, 3 Days of Peace & Music)
• The Dick Cavett Show September 8, 1970
• Arthur Penn 1922–: Themes and Variants (1970) (TV)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, August 17, 1972
• The Muppet Show (episode # 4.8) June 19, 1979
• The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time (1982)
• Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin' (1984)
• Farm Aid '87 (1987) (TV)
• A Vision Shared: A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly (1988)
• Woodstock: The Lost Performances (1990)
• Woodstock Diary (1994) (TV)
• The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (1994) (TV)
• The History of Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 6 (1995) (TV) (also known as My Generation)
• This Land Is Your Land: The Animated Kids' Songs of Woody Guthrie (1997)
• Healthy Kids (1998) (TV series)
• The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack (2000)
• Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955–1970) (2000) (TV)
• Last Party 2000 (2001) (also known as The Party's Over)
• Pops Goes the Fourth! (July 4, 2001)
• NPR's Talk of the Nation radio broadcast (Nov. 14, 2001)
  • "St. James Infirmary" and "City of New Orleans"
• Singing in the Shadow: The Children of Rock Royalty (2003)
• Get Up, Stand Up (2003) (TV series)
• From Wharf Rats to the Lords of the Docks (2004)
• Isn't This a Time! A Tribute Concert for Harold Leventhal (2004)
• 1968 with Tom Brokaw (2007)
• Pete Seeger: The Power of Song (2008) (American Masters PBS TV special)
• The 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2010) (TV special)

Footnotes[link]

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