If you’re a fan of Old-Time Appalachian and Bluegrass styles of music, and you haven’t heard of the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, well… you must purt’ near live under a rock!
Self-proclaimed as “five guys and a scrubboard, with roots like wisdom teeth,” the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band has performed all over the country, have been featured prominently on RFD TV, and have made several stops at the world-famous Grand Ole Opry. They provided the entertainment for the society wedding of Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie, played the Kennedy Center, and even played a New Year’s Eve show at the historic Ryman Auditorium, a show that nearly brought the house down!
(CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW VIDEO OF THE TENNESSEE MAFIA JUG BAND)
With their passion and showmanship, steeped in the rich tradition of Old-Time Appalachian and Bluegrass music, and with the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree’s long-time tradition of promoting and carrying on the lineage of these styles of music, well, it just makes sense that these two finally got together!
The Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree & Crafts Festival proudly welcomes the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band for a performance on Saturday, July 1 at 5:00 p.m. and in addition, will make the group the fourth recipient of the annual Blue Blaze Award. They will join Darrin Vincent, Sierra Hull and Danny Roberts, all past recipients of the prestigious award. The award was created in 2014 to honor and recognize premier musicians and entertainers who have both had an impact on the Jamboree and who continue to promote the Old-Time Appalachian and Bluegrass styles of music.
Hailing from Goodlettesville, Tennessee, the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band has shamelessly stolen a feature of the old Roy Acuff Show — a bit known as “Pap & the Jug Band.” This frolicking five-some brightens up the stage with rib-tickling old-time tunes. Even better, they have an utter lack of self-consciousness (and some might say any sense of decorum). The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band not only know the music, they wear the costumes, tell corny jokes and even do slapstick gags that throw a cable-tv-numbed audience into hysterics.
The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band was founded by the late “Lonesome” Lester Armistead, who, along with his brother, Jack, grew up around Roy Acuff‘s Smoky Mountain Boys, as their dad co-owned a bait store with Acuff’s fiddler, Howdy Forrester. Lester learned to sing from Bashful Brother Oswald and could pick a mean banjo, but was best known with the Mafia Jug Band for his jug blowin’. In several appearances on RFD TV’s The Marty Stuart Show, Marty would ask, “Lester, how’s your jug?” Only to have Lester reply, “‘Bout half.” In addition to playing music, he spent his later years as a retired printer raising grandchildren on his Middle Tennessee farm. Lester Armistead passed away on May 2, 2014, at the age of 71.
Lester’s passing, however, did not put an end to the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. His son, Mike, kept the music flowing with the remaining members of the band, along with some newcomers to fill his father’s void. In addition to Mike Armistead, current members of the group include Leroy Troy, Dan Kelly, Mike Webb and Ernie Sykes.
Known as “The Tennessee Slicker” and “The Sultan of Goodlettesville,” Leroy Troy has the “star power” of the group, having performed his astounding old-time banjo act since the 1980’s at the Knoxville World’s Fair, in the cast of Hee Haw, on many recordings, at concerts and festivals all over this country, and has also performed in Ireland. Leroy gives all credit to old-time Opry stars, the Bailes Brothers, who taught him show business. Besides banjo, Leroy also plays an elaborately outfitted scrubboard, after the fashion of long-ago Opry star Robert Lunn, who played the scrubboard in Roy Acuff’s show. Leroy’s grin and eyes are hypnotic – he knows how to connect with an audience.
Armistead, known in the group as Li’l Mikey Armistead, shares lead singing duties with Leroy, sings high tenor and harmony, and also serves as the group’s booking agent and manager. Like his dad, Mike has a taste for strong tenor singing and loves the repertoire of Bashful Brother Oswald and Ira Louvin. He runs his own record label in Goodlettsville and was a graduate of the very first International Bluegrass Music Association Leadership School. He also serves with the Nashville Fire Department.
Pennsylvania native, “Handsome” Dan Kelly provides most of the actual music with his fiddle. In his youth, Dan won hundreds of fiddle contests and was a six-state champion. He also won the Canadian National Open championship at age 12. In 1983, Dan won the coveted Grand Masters Fiddle championship in Nashville, and soon after, was hired by Roy Acuff to be the fiddler for the Smoky Mountain Boys, replacing his mentor and hero, Howdy Forrester. Dan remained with Acuff until the legend’s death in 1992. After Acuff’s passing, Dan played with several country music stars, including Alan Jackson, Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner, James Bonamy, Faith Hill, Jessica Simpson and SheDaisy.
Mike Webb plays dobro, steel guitar and the old clawhammer banjo. He learned his craft at the knees of his hero and mentor, Bashful Brother Oswald, and spent several years playing dobro for Wilma Lee Cooper on the Grand Ole Opry. Mike also won election to office in his home county in Tennessee.
A native of Long Island, New York, Ernie “Sir Cecil” Sykes kicked around Nashville for decades with his big bass fiddle and bag of good ol’ country songs. He spent time with Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, with Don Reno, and with the Bluegrass Cardinals. He’s also known for his singing, particularly when he pulls a legendary Roger Miller tune from his repertoire.
In addition to their many live appearances, the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band has produced five albums, including their most recent one, titled Barnyard Frolic. They’ve had a music video featured on CMT and GAC, and can be heard on the soundtrack of the Faye Dunaway movie, Yellowbird. This weekend, however, the group will take the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree by storm, and it will most certainly be a treat for all in attendance. Don’t miss their performance, and the presentation of the annual Blue Blaze Award, Saturday night, around 6:00 p.m., on the Jamboree stage.
For more information on the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, visit their website at www.tennesseemafiajugband.com.
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