Past: Spring Concert

Missouri State Parks is sponsoring a free event at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site in Burfordville. You are invited to attend the annual Spring Concert Sunday, June 7th at 2:00 p.m. and enjoy the performance by the Chestnut Mountain Gang.

The Chestnut Mountain Gang is a bluegrass and gospel band from southeast Missouri. The group includes band members from Cape Girardeau, Whitewater and Morley, Missouri. Since the group's first performance in 2005, they have been steadily gaining fans and opportunities.

The founding members of the Chestnut Mountain Gang include well-known bluegrass guitarist Willard Huffman, his lovely wife, Cindy on bass, and Janie Brown as vocalist and band leader. Janie and the Huffman's originally helped another bluegrass group, Buchanan and Company, record a CD in the fall of 2005. After that group disbanded, Janie and the Huffman's decided to build on their core foundation of music and friendship, which led to the formation of the Chestnut Mountain Gang. Since joining the group, the Huffman's also contribute to the band's sound with lead and harmony vocals.

In addition to Janie and the Huffmans, the band currently includes Randal Lee on mandolin and Jim Kerber, from Morley, Missouri on banjo. As the newest "Gang" member, Jim has acquired the nickname "smiley", as he grins from ear to ear while plucking on his ole' banjo! Randal Lee also serves the band as sound and equipment roadie. Many may also recognize Randal Lee as being a part-time DJ on radio station C106.1 and the host of "The Midweek Bluegrass Breakdown", which airs every Wednesday evening from 7- 10 p.m. and is also available online at www.kwkz.com. The most popular feature of the program is the gospel hour from 8-9 p.m. Janie and Randal love the Lord and love to share the gospel message through bluegrass music.

The group has recorded two CD's. The first, "Old, Old House" is a mixture of traditional and bluegrass gospel tunes. The group released a second CD, titled "Did You Forget God Today" in 2010. This all-gospel disc includes 20 of their bluegrass gospel favorites. "You can't find better friends than these folks," Janie says of the Gang. "We have a great time together whether we're practicing or on stage. If we can maintain that spirit, share the gospel and make good music simultaneously, then we have achieved a worthwhile goal."

Refreshments provided. Please bring a lawn chair for seating. Bollinger Mill State Historic Site is the site of a Civil War-era mill where visitors can learn how corn and wheat were ground into meal and flour by water power, just as it was done long ago. Burfordville Covered Bridge, the oldest of the four remaining covered bridges in the state, was built in 1858 and stretches 140 feet across the Whitewater River, which powers the mill.