McLain Family Band Featured for June Bluegrass Monday
The McLain Family Band (left to right)Daxon Lewis, Alice McLain White, Raymond McLain, Ruth McLain Smith, Al White
JONESBORO – The McLain Family will perform a concert of bluegrass music Monday, June 26, at 7 p.m. at the Collins Theatre, 120 West Emerson Street, in downtown Paragould. From Eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains, the McLain siblings and their extended family members have been playing music together professionally since 1968. They have performed in all 50 states as well as in 64 countries as sanctioned musical ambassadors for the U.S. State Department.
The McLain Family Band has appeared on programs on all major television networks. They have also performed at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Grand Ole Opry.
The band has also collaborated with multiple symphony orchestras, combining bluegrass with classical music, for over 250 performances
In addition to performing with his family for over 55 years, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Raymond McLain spent 10 years as part of the Virginia Boys, the backing band for Grand Ole Opry members Jim and Jesse McReynolds.
He has also served as the director of the Country and Bluegrass Music Program at East Tennessee State University and as the director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University.
Ruth McLain Smith is an accomplished songwriter, with her melodies having been recorded not only by her family but also by bluegrass superstars Rhonda Vincent and the Lewis Family. She has also taught classes at the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music.
In addition to performing, Alice McLain White has also served as an educator, teaching first grade and teaching classes in traditional instruments at Berea College in Kentucky.Prior to joining the family band, Alice’s husband Al White was part of the Bluegrass Alliance, a group that also included Vince Gill. Like all the members of the McLain Family Band, White sings and plays many different instruments.
Daxon Lewis is also a native of Eastern Kentucky. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in traditional music from the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, where he currently serves as director of that program. He also has a lengthy resume as a recording artist, educator and promoter of bluegrass and traditional music.
Additional information about the McLain Family Band is available at www.mclainfamilyband.com.Seating at the concert is first-come, first-served. Doors to the theatre will open at 6 p.m. The Bluegrass Monday concert series is a non-profit presentation of KASU-FM, providing music fans with an affordable and outstanding evening of entertainment, while 100% of the ticket proceeds go to the performers.All ticket proceeds are given to the performers to compensate them for their time and talents.
The admission fee is $10 per person, payable by cash at the door the night of the concert. Everyone aged 18 and under will be admitted for free. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.kasu.org/tickets.
These concerts are presented with support from sponsors including the Paragould Advertising & Promotion Commission, Bibb Chiropractic Center, Gardner-Milner Law Firm, the Posey Peddler, Hyde Park Café, Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould, and KASU.
KASU is the public media service of Arkansas State University broadcasting at 91.9 FM and streaming on a variety of online platforms. For more information, contact Marty Scarbrough, KASU program director, mscarbro@AState.edu or 870-972-2367. Additional information is also available on the Bluegrass Monday Facebook page.
