The Old Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival, now in its 31st year, will celebrate Missouri culture Friday and Saturday, October 18 & 19. The annual event in downtown West Plains, MO celebrates Ozarks music and culture. Admission to all festival events is free. Festival hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m. each day, with music scheduled to begin at noon.
The West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) started the Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival in response to input from the traditional music community – mostly musicians from families who had played for generations as well as graduates from the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program of the Missouri Folk Arts Program. At the time, there was not a festival venue locally where that music was showcased. Members of the community formed a planning committee to look at the feasibility of a small arts council participating in a meaningful way to facilitate such a festival. The first years were under advisement, with input, and some sponsorship from the Missouri Folk Arts Program. The festival has always received funding from the Missouri Arts Council under their community arts program. The event is now the signature event of the City of West Plains.
“We’re excited to introduce the full slate of musical performers who will fill our stage. For this celebration, we’ll feature many of those who have performed over the years, some who have been involved with this Festival since its inception, and some names new to our event,” organizers said. “It will be two great days of old-time music!”
Headliners were previously announced:
This year’s Friday headliners are The Creek Rocks, in the Theater at 8 p.m.
This year’s Saturday headliners are The Wheelhouse Rousters in the Theater at 8 p.m.
Our other featured performers include:
The Colbert Brothers
Old-time music has been a family tradition for generations for Colbert Brothers Leon, Van, and Vernon, all of whom hail from Willow Springs, Missouri. “Mom and Dad instilled in us the love of their music, and to this day we play, sing and remember,” said Van, who is known for his unique “two-finger” roll style on banjo.
The Colbert’s grandfather, Hall Colbert, moved the family from the Buffalo River region of Arkansas during the Depression years. He and his wife, Ethel, their four boys, Leon, Bob, Truett and John, and their four daughters, Geneva, Gladys, Jewell, and Marge, traveled by horse and wagon to the Howell County community of Amy where they established new roots and Hall preached as a Baptist minister and sang.
The Colbert’s father, Joseph Truett, who was named for a famous turn-of-the-century minister, taught himself to play a banjo he built by stretching a groundhog skin over the hoop for a head. He taught Van’s older brothers to chord the guitar and enjoyed playing along once they could carry a tune. Mother Vernieca May (Easley) Colbert also was a beautiful singer and lady, Van said, and before she passed away, they could always encourage her to sing “Beautiful Brown Eyes,” “Red River Valley,” “Maple on the Hill” and “Wildwood Flower” to their accompaniment.
Duane Porterfield
Duane Porterfield is a musician with a passion for old time folk instruments and music. In 2023 he was the Arkansas State Old Time Banjo Campion, (senior division). He is also recognized as a former National Mountain Dulcimer Champion along with several other awards and acknowledgements. As a boy in the fifth grade, his parents bought him a K-Mart guitar promising that, “If you stick with it, we’ll get you a better one”. He stuck with it, and a few months later, was presented with his first “real” guitar. Playing along with cassette tapes of The Eagles, John Denver and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, among others, he soon discovered a love for the sound of acoustic stringed instruments. Eventually he would form a string band, Hardtack, with his older brother Dennis and Les Crider, the man who first taught him to play Wildwood Flower on the guitar. For several years they played fairs and festivals in the area.
In 1997 he entered the Mountain Music Shop in Shawnee, Kansas and was introduced to the mountain dulcimer. He recalled as a young child watching his great grandfather strumming on a similar stringed box with a stick and feather. Duane left the music shop that day with his first mountain dulcimer failing to realize the impact this instrument would have on his life. He sums it up with these words, “The mountain dulcimer has been the medicine that relieves my headache, has taken me back to a simpler time, and has introduced me to some of my closest friends”.
Living in Mountain View, AR. since 2013, he remains involved in its rich music heritage. When not performing, or instructing workshops, you may find him at the Dulcimer Shoppe helping to create the McSpadden Mountain Dulcimer.
The Roe Family Singers
Bonfire Music Group recording artists the Roe Family Singers are a Good-Time, Old-Time Hillbilly band from the tiny community of Kirkwood Hollow, Minnesota. Led by wife & husband Kim and Quillan Roe, the band marries old-time sounds from barn-dances, fiddle pulls, and county fairs with the rock & roll passion of youth. For 20 years Kim & Quillan Roe have made music together, starting at a tribute to the then recently deceased Johnny & June Carter Cash.
Featuring banjo, Autoharp, guitar, and Appalachian clogging, the band and family of fans have been regularly filling Minneapolis’ 331 Club every Monday night since 2005. They’ve shared the stage with Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, Mike Seeger, Del McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, the Grascals, Jim Kweskin & Geoff Muldaur, Junior Brown, Asleep at the Wheel, and John McEuen & John Carter Cash. In 2011 the band was awarded the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians; they won the title of “World’s Best Jug Band” twice, in 2010 & 2012 at the annual Battle of the Jug Bands; in 2012, won the Minnesota Duet Contest at the MN State Fair; in 2016 won the title of Entertainers of the Year from BMAI; in 2017, Kim won the clogging competition at the Old-Time Music & Ozark Heritage Festival, held in West Plains, MO; in 2018, won both Entertainers of the Year and Album of the Year from BMAI; in 2019, won Best Band, Best Band Overall, and Entertainers of the Year from BMAI; and in 2020 their song, “Don’t Worry About the Rich Man,” was #10 overall on the Bluegrass Grassicana charts.
The Roe Family Singers mix original music and contemporary takes on old-time, traditional, and gospel tunes into one roiling & rollicking river of fresh yet familiar American music. Every performance raises a ruckus. Performing with Kim and Quillan are Dave Robinson on lead guitar, Dave Gustafson on mandolin, and Pat Loftus on Bass.
Shortleaf Band
The Shortleaf Band is a duet based in the Southern Missouri Ozark’s. Michael and Tenley Fraser have immersed themselves into the culture, and traditional music of the “Scots Irish” who became the first to settle the region.
Michael, an original member of the Shortleaf Band was instrumental in the founding of the “Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival.” He served as an apprentice to the late Bob Holt of Ava, Missouri, learning how to perform Ozark Square Dance Music on the fiddle. He is also the author of the CD titled “Fiddles and Forests” that was produced by the Missouri Department of Conservation, as well as musical director on the CD “Voices of the Hills” also produced by MDC.
Tenley is a former musical stage performer who has moved into the folk music genre. She lived in Kansas City most of her life and has been performing for The Shortleaf Band since 2005. A singer/songwriter with a folksy alto voice; she plays keyboards, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin.
Stones River Reelers
BECAUSE PLAYING 78 RPM RECORDS IS VANDALISM
We Play Dances, Concerts, & Events Both Public and Private. The Stones River Reelers play old-time dance tunes and songs from a century ago. What the deuce is that? Well, Herman Crook said it best in 1974: “It has changed a lot, but it shouldn’t have changed. It should be the same all the way through, ’cause people that comes to see … they’re coming to see—what they expect to see—is the old-time music. That’s what it’s supposed to be. That’s the way it started out, and it’s not supposed to be a change in it.” Like all the great old-timers, we play this venerated music to avoid hard labor.
The Stones River Reelers are a pedigreed old-time band from down in Sunny Tennessee. Hitch up the Mules. They’ll provide that century-old music without any of the ailments. Fifteen strings, twenty reeds, and good cleanish humor is all but guaranteed. Michael Klug busts on the gum-stump fiddle so well it takes two Sundays to make amends. Aaron Stephens is a banjo acrobatist who belts out the good old songs from our dear Friend and Neighbor, Uncle Dave Macon. Andrew Larson has more bass runs in his flattop box than springtime at a mill dam. And rounding out the sound in true Middle Tennessee fashion, Seth Shumate wields the mouth organ masterfully while avoiding eye contact behind his homemade harp horn. Seth is an Arkansas native whose grandfather and great-grandmother played the harmonica or “French harp” in the Ozarks. Shumate said he acquired the habit in the seventh grade. Since then, he has played and studied the history of old-time harmonica and specializes in the fiddle-tune, country blues, and jug band styles of the harmonica masters of the 1920s-30s.
Down Yonder
Down Yonder is an old-time traditional string band based in Hardy, Arkansas. Don Reed, a West Plains musician, serves as a rhythm guitar player for the band. Over the years Don has played with many great West Plains old time fiddlers, such as Cliff Brien, Dean Von Allman, and Roger Williams. Don began playing guitar at about seven years old to back up family fiddlers in Ava, Missouri. Ginger Harden serves as the fiddler for the group. Her driving fiddle style is self-taught and has also been influenced by local fiddler, Cliff Brien. Jeff Kamps, a two-time Arkansas senior clawhammer banjo champion, has been playing clawhammer for over forty years. Jeff is a retired luthier who owned the Flat Creek Dulcimer Shop in Hardy. Jeff’s wife, Debbie, rounds out the group with traditional old-time rhythm guitar and a variety of old-time vocals. Together, these talented musicians create the sweet Ozark sound of Down Yonder.
The Undergrass Boys
Bo Brown, John Kendrick, George Harder Horne and David Wilson.
Formed the fall of 1978, this Bluegrass fusion group toured with Emmy Lou Harris, Leon Russell, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Juice Newton, John Connolly, New Grass Revival, John Hartford, The Dillards, Bill Monroe, and many more. All four are songwriters, mul-instrumentalist and vocalists with a successful recording in 1981. They have just completed a CD on Juneapple Records, performing with the original line-up except for Rick Davidson, who passed in 2021.
George was Born and raised in N E Arkansas just 40 miles from Memphis of the 50’s and 60’s and all those musical influences. Playing music since early childhood he was exposed to jazz and classical music. Spent the 1980’s in Branson playing Silver Dollar City during the day and music shows at night. Worked as Licensed Professional Counselor for 30 years but never gave up a chance to play music as well. George is a founding member of the Undergrass Boys
John has worked as a rural mail carrier, laborer, journalist, grant administrator and musician to enable living on the west central Missouri farm where his father was raised. There, John resides with his family, the fifth generation to be born to this land. John is an exceptional songwriter, has made recordings of music about cowboy and western culture and is considered to be one of the country’s most unique banjo players. John is a founding member of The Undergrass Boys.
A native of the Missouri Ozarks, David was the 1st Place Winner, 2023 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. David is a record producer, teacher and has performed and recorded on nearly 300 bluegrass, old time, classical, swing, country and folky records. David is a founding member of The Undergrass Boys.
Bo Brown is one of the Ozark’s most well-known acoustic multi-instrumentalists, having been in several popular groups in the Midwest including Marideth Sisco and Blackberry Winter, Low Down Fancy, Hamburger Cows and The Undergrass Boys. A naturalist and educator Bo has authored two successful books about foraging. His music and songwriting reflect his love of the Ozark’s natural beauty and resources and his commitment to the responsible enjoyment of the area. Bo is a founding member of the Undergrass Boys.
Auntie Em and the Tornadoes
Singer-songwriter Emily Higgins and two former members of the Undergrass Boys, multi-instrumentalist Bo Brown (songwriter, guitar, lead vocals) and bassist George Horne perform Emily’s original music with tight three-part harmonies and a lot of joy. Emily’s band mates have been performing together for over 30 years, together as The Undergrass Boys, and separately with other bands as well. “The flavor, depth and dimension that Bo, and George bring to my music is nothing short of magical. There have been many highlights, but for me as a songwriter, looking out into an audience and seeing joyful people inspired to get up and dance is one of the finest.”
In addition to Auntie Em and The Tornadoes, Emily hosts “The Mulberry Tree” airing Sundays at 9 pm Central on KSMU, Springfield, Missouri’s NPR affiliate station.
Expanded biographical information on these performers is available on the website at www.oldtimemusic.org
The Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival is the signature event for West Plains. The festival seeks to celebrate, preserve, pass on and nurture an appreciation of the old-time music and folk life traditions distinctive to the Ozark Highlands.
2025 Festival partners include the West Plains Council on the Arts, the City of West Plains, the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center and Missouri State University – West Plains. Partial funding for this event is provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency. Additional support has been provided by Missouri Humanities.
For more information on the festival e-mail info@westplainsarts.org, visit the website at https://www.oldtimemusic.org, or “like” the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Old.Time.Music.Festival
