Lonesome Ride Bluegrass

About Us

The Lonesome Ride Bluegrass Band

Mike, Zeb, Shawn, & Tom

Bluegrass Civil War Music at its Best

The Smiths                                                             Lonesome Ride

        

Gary and Wilma Smith                                     Gary at the Wall

Gary and Wilma Smith are avid Civil War enthusiasts and reenactors, having spent years studying and researching various aspects of the War Between the States.  They have visited numerous Civil War battlefields and museums, and have researched the archives at Richmond, VA, Washington, DC, and Carlisle PA.  Their main focus of study was that of the ordinary Civil War soldier, an interest that was sparked by Gary's great grandfather, Griffith Creasy's experiences with Co. G of the 28th Virginia Infantry.  A book, Three Rebel Brothers from Old Virginia, resulted from this research.

     Another result of this avid interest was the authorship of several Civil War songs and the production of a Bluegrass CD, “Crossing the Wall,” which includes ten of these songs as well as two traditional Civil War era songs and one instrumental written by Tom Smith.

                 Hear that banjo ring!   G. Thomas Smith

                    

                           If you like banjo music, you'll love Tom's pickin style on these songs.

     Without accompanying music, notes and a "tune", a song is little more than mere words, so we called upon son Tom Smith, a master bluegrass five-string banjoist, with twenty years of musical experience, to refine the tunes and develop musical arrangements for the songs.  He reached out to his good friend, Mike Davisson, who is also a master bluegrass musician with great talent on the guitar, mandolin, and fiddle.  They engaged Mike's son, nine year old Zeb, to play stand-up bass on some of the songs.  

                          Mike and Zeb Davisson

                               

The lead vocalist is Shawn Smith, another son, whose clear distinct voice shares the feelings and emotions of the songs with such passion that the listener is drawn into the scenes, emotions and stories portrayed by the lyrics of these songs…. WARNING: Grown men have been known to tear up when listening to these songs….  

         Christopher Shawn Smith     

                           

After much dedicated work and practice, the band, Lonesome Ride, was formed. Local performances were so successful that the recording and production of the CD “Crossing the Wall” was encouraged.  The boys did allow Mom and Dad to perform two of the songs and Tom teamed with Dad to perform the vocals on one of them.  By the way, to keep everything in the family, Wilma and Gary adopted Mike and Zeb, figuratively speaking of course.

We have tried to bridge the gap between the old and new, then and now, by telling of the hardships, sentiments, and valor of the Civil War soldier but by setting the lyrics to bluegrass music, producing a unique sound that is peppy and highly enjoyable for the listener.

We hope you enjoy our endeavor as much as we enjoyed making it for you.

We thank the Good Lord for making this music possible.

Wilma, Gary, Tom, and Shawn Smith

Ten Civil War Songs

Two Civil War era Songs    One instrumental

Set to Bluegrass music

Written and performed by Civil War Re-enactors

Shawn Smith, Tom Smith,

Gary G. Smith, Wilma M. Smith, Mike and Zeb Davisson

Lonesome Ride

5031 Hackers Creek Rd.

Weston, WV 26452             To Email click on the following http://www.lonesomeride.com/formbuddydemo.htm