(STAFF REPORT)

MIDDLESBORO — Southern Skye, a local up-and-coming bluegrass band, will be appearing on WBIR Channel 10’s Live at 5 this Friday.

With an average age of 17, this young group of musicians has fronted for such bluegrass greats as Rhonda Vincent and Bobby and Dean Osborne. Band members include Bell County natives Alex Hensley and Ben Jenkins, along with Chris Castle, Alex Leach, and Heather Norwood (see photo).

Hensley, a 17-year-old from Middlesboro, plays guitar and sings lead for the band.

Jenkins, age 16, has been playing banjo for about four years, and the dobro for two. He has attended many festivals, and has won several competitions in banjo. He is currently playing with the Kentucky Opry at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg.

Leach, age 17, is a veteran of bluegrass music. He is a disc jockey at WDVX in Knoxville, Tenn., and won the SPBGMA’s DJ of the year award in 2003 and 2005. He plays mandolin and sings lead and harmony for the band.

Castle, the youngest band member at 14, is from Paintsville. He plays upright bass and sings harmony with the band. He also plays with the Kentucky Opry Junior Pro’s at the Mountain Arts Center.

Norwood, a music therapy student at the University of Louisville, is from Fordsville. She fills in with Southern Skye as much as possible and plays fiddle. She has played fiddle since the age of 10, and has worked with Joe Isaacs and James Monroe, along with many different groups.

Hensley and Jenkins came together about two years ago, and named the band “Southern Skye” (”Skye” is for “Southeast Kentucky Youth Entertainment”). The band mixes traditional bluegrass and contemporary styles. They also perform a number of original tunes. The band’s motto is: “Reaching back to the past to bring bluegrass to the future.” They often go into schools and present bluegrass programs to young people.

The band has played several local venues, including schools and nursing homes. They were privileged to play at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., and the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville, Tenn.. They loved playing at Dollywood’s Bluegrass and BBQ and have also played at local festivals and have performed on Red Barn Radio.

They have spent the last two weeks traveling, and recording their second album at Blueridge Recording Studio in Luray, Va. The album is scheduled to be released Aug. 7 by MasterShield Records.

In addition to the Live at 5 performance this Friday, Southern Skye will also be appearing at the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on at 7 p.m. Friday night. They are also the opening act for the Cherry Holmes concert at Claiborne High School on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Their schedule also includes performances at Cumberland Gap National Park on July 7, the Osborne Brothers Festival in Hyden on Aug. 2, Pine Mountain State Park on June 29 on July 12 and Aug. 16, the Renfro Valley on Aug. 18 and 21, and the Bluegrass and Cars Festival in Barbourville, on Aug. 11. Their schedule also includes a 15-day stint at Dollywood from Sept. 14 to 30.

For more information, visit their Web site at www.southernskye.org, or call 337-8308 or 606-524-3770.