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Unveiling Of William "Billy" Sage
Exhibit |
The
Appalachian Cultural Music Association (ACMA) and the
Mountain
Music Museum invites everyone to attend the ACMA Pickin Porch at the
Bristol Mall on Thursday, April 12th at 7:00 pm for a special
program and unveiling of a new exhibit. The late William “Billy”
Sage will be honored with the unveiling of a beautiful shadowbox
exhibit showcasing his fiddle, stage hat and tie along with a photo
of him performing on stage.
Billy Sage was son of Giles and Alpha Sluder Sage of Bristol, VA in
the Cleveland community. Billy was actually born in Rhodefield, West
Virginia when his father went there for work in the coal fields but
later moved back to Bristol.
Billy later moved to Kirkwood, Delaware and played fiddle in the
Baltimore, Maryland area in the 1950s and 1960s when that area was a
hot bed for bluegrass music.
First Starting with his brothers, Bob & James in the First State
Bluegrass Band, Billy went on to later play with some of the greats
in bluegrass including Bill Monroe, Del McCoury, Red Allen, Jack
Cook, David Davis and the Warrior River Boys and many others.
Billy Sage also traveled to many foreign countries including
Germany, Belgium, England, Japan, Holland and British Columbia.
Billy resided in Confluence, Pennsylvania with his wife Karlyne
until his death on July 21, 2002. Billy lived his entire life as a
bluegrass musician and passed away on the band’s bus traveling home
after a weekend of performing at festivals.
Many of Billy’s family members are traveling to Bristol from
Pennsylvania on April 12th for this special event at the ACMA’s
Pickin Porch. “This is another example of the importance of the
Mountain Music Museum and what it means to people from all across
America and the world”, states Tim White, president of the ACMA. “We
hope that our community will turn out for this special night of
music, tribute and memorial to Billy Sage.”
On stage at the Pickin Porch at the Comfort Systems USA Performance
Center at the Bristol Mall on April 12th will Tommy Freeman &
Skyline. Tommy Freeman is a veteran bluegrass musician who was like
a second son to Billy Sage. Tommy Freeman & Skyline provide great
traditional-style bluegrass music.
Admission to the Pickin Porch is free but donations are accepted.
Proceeds from the Pickin Porch shows go to underwrite the costs for
the ACMA’s Mountain Music Museum on the lower level of the Bristol
Mall which is open 7 days a week all mall hours.
The ACMA would like to say a special “Thank You” to
Gla-Mar
Galleries of Bristol, Virginia for providing the excellent shadow
box for the Billy Sage exhibit. Gla-Mar Galleries has provided most
of the framing for the Mountain Music Museum displays.
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