Spotlight on McCoy Grass

You will know that Bluegrass music is in VERY GOOD hands as soon as you hear McCoy Grass! Seeing young kids playing bluegrass music is great, but when you see and hear these two girls and their band, you will be amazed.

McCoy Grass, based out of Fairborn, Ohio will bring you to your feet in just 45 minutes in one show of great in-your-face bluegrass music. Kelly McCoy, age 16, has been described as Ohio's premiere female bluegrass singer, and one of Ohio's greatest mandolin players. She can also play anything with strings and sing any type of harmony. But, overall, her best feature is her lead vocals. Leading the band with her crisp, but heart-felt voice, she does most of the high lead and tenor singing. Her vocal performances have been compared to the likes of her hero, Rhonda Vincent, seven-time International Bluegrass Music Association's female vocalist of the year. Kelly is also credited for her great bluegrass song writing abilities.

Katelyn McCoy, age 13, plays the fire out of the guitar. She has been noted as one of the best female guitar pickers in bluegrass music today. She can blend any type of harmony vocal perfectly. Her lead and harmony vocals are featured in the McCoy Grass show, and are very pleasing to the ear. She, too, can play many instruments and write songs.

Together, these girls have done a lot more than some musicians who are five times their age. They have played on many stages of some of the nation's biggest bluegrass festivals, including Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival (Bean Blossom, IN), Poppy Mountain Bluegrass Festival (Morehead, KY), The Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival (Wilmington, OH), Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival (Rosine, KY), Dr. Ralph Stanley's Memorial Bluegrass Festival (Coeburn, VA), and on the main stage of the SPBGMA Convention in Nashville, TN. ÊThey have done many radio shows, including the award-winning WDVX in Knoxville, TN. You can also catch them on RFD-TV's Cumberland Highlanders Show or read about them in national publications, such as Bluegrass Now, Bluegrass Unlimited, The Bluegrass Journal, and Cybergrass.

McCoy Grass also makes frequent appearances on local television in the Dayton, OH area, and they have done a couple segments on Bucher's Beat on Channel 2 News in Dayton. The list of national acts that the girls have shared the stage with is very impressive. The living legend, Bobby Osborne, has let the girls sing with him twice, both in Renfro Valley, KY (at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Museum and at the Red Barn). Other artists contributing to the list are: Ralph Stanley II, James King, Melvin Goins, Honi Deaton, Joe Isaacs, Alex Leach, Sammy Adkins, Vince Combs, Clarence Kelly, and Vince Combs. The girls have also had the privilege of jamming with some of their heroes, including Rhonda Vincent, Don Rigsby, and Adam Steffey.

McCoy Grass as a band has done pretty well the past couple of years, playing many big bluegrass festivals across the Midwest and getting a lot of airplay for their CDs. Their CDs have been played in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Oregon, Iowa, Canada, France, and the Netherlands. Their CDs have also been reviewed in many national magazines. You will know you love this band as soon as you hear them.

Jim Chatfield keeps the band on time with his rock-solid bass playing and Eddie Lewis keeps the drive coming with his great banjo playing. The music of McCoy Grass is great and seeing them live is simply amazing! This band has just got it! ÊYou will see more of them on the national level very soon!

Until then, you can check them out online at www.mccoygrass.com