Spotlight on Solly Burton

Solly Burton is an amazing young man, driven by the love of the mandolin. And he's good. Good enough to be winning adult competitions such as the Smithsville Tennessee Old Time Fiddlers and Picking competition this year, getting the 1st place for adults after a long grueling day of competition. When it was all settled, it was 1:30 in the morning and only 40 people were still watching the contest out of over 4,000 from the daytime! He also placed first in the beginners category in the Kentucky State Championship Old Time FiddlerÕs Contest.

He's the proud owner of seven mandolins, all earned from his efforts at raising 4H hogs and selling eggs from his flock of fancy chicken pets! When he's not at home, learning his schooling from his mother, he's picking with a band called Crooked Creek at gigs around his hometown of Graysville, Indiana. Did we mention heÕs only 14? Solly and his family enjoy bluegrass and his father plays the fiddle.

Solly is currently being guided by Louie Popjoy, a music teacher in the area who loves working with children and even has a showcase band called Louie Popejoy and the Young Heirs, where he offers kids a chance to perform and learn to love the music of bluegrass.

Solly is a great bluegrass kid, humble and hardworking, dedicated to his music. He enjoys playing and can already dazzle you with some great picking. He's already had the opportunity not once, but three times to share the stage with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder and has participated in a workshop with mando-great Sam Bush, as well, and joined him on stage during the event.

If he stays with this music, and there's little thought that he's got any other plans,
then he'll be a talent to keep an eye on.

Congratulations to Solly! He won the Winfield Mandolin contest in 2007
and will be coming out with a CD in April of 2008!!! Way to go!

You can visit his new website at:

sollyburton.tripod.com

You can hear Solly's New CD "Back Home Again" here at:

www.mandolincafe.com or www.kentuckyfiddler.com

It is a nice variety of bluegrass, gospel and classic songs
He's helped out by friends Mike Sumner on banjo, Adam Wright on guitar,
Fred Duggin on guitar, Joel Whittinghill on violin and Brad Leiter on bass.

Listen to an interview with Solly and some of his music at:

www.BluegrassTalkRadio.com