Book a Band Listing

Based out of Memphis, The Tennessee Gentlemen have been entertaining bluegrass fans for over thirty years. In June of 2006 we went on a 10-day European Tour. Donny and Troy Castleberry, the founding members of the group, worked together for 25 years until Troy's death in 2000. Donny, along with his brother Doyle, decided to continue the group in the same fine tradition. The rhythm guitar player for the band, Donny sings 'sky high' tenor and lead vocals. He has played with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and Signal Mountain. When not playing a festival with his own band, Donny performs with Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys. From Bluegrass rooted in the early seventies, Doyle came full circle with his music and joined his brother in 1994, forming a group called Neshoba. Neshoba morphed into the Tennessee Gentlemen. Coming from a background in rock, blues and country, his solid bass tempo drives the band. Doyle sings low lead, tenor and harmony vocals. He also occasionally plays the guitar on stage. Behind the scenes, Doyle keeps the website updated with performance photos and festival dates. Kent Coffey started taking guitar lessons from Jazz guitarist Gus Smith at age 9, and has been playing professionally since age 10. His father Lynn and brother Sam were his biggest influences and they had a family band until Lynn’s untimely death. Kent continued to play music with his brother Sam in various styles and configurations until they formed The Coffey Brothers’ Bluegrass Band around 1988. When Sam relocated after several years, Kent and his wife Beci continued with the band-now called The Buffalo City Ramblers. In addition to The Tennessee Gentlemen, Kent also plays with BCR, Carnes and the Heaters -a blues band formed with his musical mentor Carnes McCormick, and Swing Shift-a Jazz trio consisting of Kent and Beci and the above-mentioned Gus Smith. Sam Coffey has been playing music as long as he can remember. He grew up in the Ozarks the son of a multi-instrumental father, Lynn and a very supportive mother, Nina and daughter Marie (Reebob). He has played at multiple venues and with various artist. Sam’s instrument of choice is the banjo, but he is also proficient on the guitar, bass, dobro and mandolin. He has played with Kitty Wells and Mac Wiseman, Donna Fargo and many more. He played with his brother in Coffey Brothers and is so thrilled to be playing with him again with the Tennessee Gentlemen. In South Dakota, Texas, Colorado, Missouri and Arkansas he was very active in the musical communities, playing in multiple bands one of his own Coffey and Co. where he played with his son, Dalton and wife, Tammy. Sam also, has a business, Coffey Custom Instruments where he builds and repairs acoustic instruments. He is now happy to be back home on the farm in Arkansas so he can be closer to his family and teach his grandson, Cane, to carry on the musical tradition...

Whiskey Ricard moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the winter of 2006, relocating from Tallahassee, Florida and their home on the Florida State music scene. It was time to bring thir music to more people and places, and they have been loving every minute of it. "Nashville has opened our eyes to what it means to be in a real band," says Scott Taylor. "You can go to any bar on a Monday night and watch amazing bands playing 80s covers for tips, only to realize halfway through that these bands are composed of the best sidemen in the business. It makes you realize what you are up against." For the past 4 years, Whiskey Richard has been tearing up the Southeast music scene. Chris Dreyer and Scott Taylor met in the spring of 2001 while studying abroad in London. They recorded a demo and had their first taste of performing live at London's famed 12 Bar Club. "Playing in London was great because we had the support of all the kids on our program," Dreyer recalls. "We would book a small club and pack the place. It was a great introduction to performing my music live, but it was humbling to come back to the states and start from scratch." They knew they had something special and began to focus on getting their music heard. Dreyer and Taylor paid their dues as an acoustic act on the music scene at Florida State University, performing at every bar, dive, club, and party they could get their hands on. After over 100 shows for the booze/the door/tips/you name it, reality set in: it was time to build a full band from the ground up. Both players had a lot of experience performing, Dreyer received a degree from FSU in theatre, Taylor received his in music performance... on the trumpet. Taylor notes, "Guitar was something I always did, but never really focused on. I played the trumpet in school and got a scholarship for it, so I just stuck with it." Dreyer began playing guitar in college. "I never had any training," he concedes. "I just started learning bit by bit, and along with it, starting writing songs. As I got better at the playing, I got more adventurous with the writing, but the writing was always a big part of expressing myself. There are songs that we play in this band that I wrote within the first year of learning to play." After finding some players, the boys starting booking bigger shows and began playing out of town at neighboring college and beach towns. "We got a chance to play before we were really that great," says Chris, "but I think that really got us ready to perform quicker... because we had to entertain these crowds." Their big break came when they got their first gigs at Bullwinkle's in Tallahassee. It has named one of the Top 20 College Bars in America by Playboy. Mark Raudabaugh and Andrew Altman, the current rhythm section, came onboard during this time. "We had been playing in some cheesy cover bands," noted Altman, "and felt like this was a group in which we could really contribute and were excited to flesh out Chris's original material." Mark agreed. "The potential was immediately evident, and the quality of the writing blew me away." After playing 200 shows at Bullwinkle's and establishing a touring presence in the Southeast, the group decided to relocate to Nashville. "Nashville seemed like the next logical step," explains Dreyer. "All the label and A & R feedback we have received has come from Nashville. It is a songwriter's town, and it is a great place to tour from, being centrally located. " Taylor added, "We have so much planned for the next year: a few Southeast tours, an East Coast tour up to New York City, the West Coast in January. Moving to Nashville really was the catalyst for us to get busy and become a real band. We have been having a such a great time doing it. We can't complain."

FLATLINE PROMOTION DEMO -------------------------------------- Featuring Kristin Welch Randy Hall, Vocals ,Bass Guitar Joe Sins ,Vocals, Lead Guitar Shawn Apples, Drums James Getman, Vocals, Lead Guitar

?WWII? The Willie and Waylon Tribute Show Country Music Rebels Ride Again Living every man?s life through their music, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings created a niche in Country Music that appealed to a broad base of fans and has endured for decades. Bob Gill, a musician and vocalist who is a dead ringer for the late Waylon Jennings in both appearance and vocal ability, teams with Marion Deaton, a Memphis musician and vocalist who has been called ?Willie Nelson?s double?; to create a tribute to Willie and Waylon that transports the audience to a time when both men took the stage and captured the attention and affection of all who were lucky enough to catch their act. GENIUS IN JEANS: It is unusual, in the world of Tribute artists, to find two performers who have ?dead on? vocals, ?dead on? appearance and have professional musical backgrounds. Both Marion Deaton and Bob Gill look and sound just like the celebrities they bring to life. The chemistry these two men have on stage recreates the bond Willie and Waylon had, and it radiates through the audience. When you add excellent harmonies and musicianship to the mix, this show leaves audiences on their feet wanting more.