GRANITE QUARRY ó Longtime bluegrass musician Jarvis Knight Jr., of Rockwell, got special recognition, and lots of people enjoyed some fine fiddling Saturday night.
At the 42nd annual Granite Quarry Civitan Fiddlers’ Convention at East Rowan High School, judges selected Marshall Feis, of the Stanfield band Talley Road, as champion fiddler, and Passin’ Thru, of Star, earned the title of champion band.
The event also raised $6,000 for the Civitan Club, according to club member Don Livengood.
The event is the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and club members use the money raised from admissions and the sale of food to support community projects, including Boy Scouts, Junior Civitans, Good Citizen Awards, scholarships, Special Olympics, the Victory Junction Gang Camp and East Rowan High, Erwin Middle and Granite Quarry Elementary schools.
The club also presented $1,600 in cash prizes, trophies and ribbons to winners in a number of categories.
Vivian Hopkins, of the Fifth String and Company, a Gold Hill band, presented Feis with a miniature fiddle in memory of Hopkins’ father, Ralph Pennington, who spent most of his life playing and promoting bluegrass and old-time music.
The Civitan Club honored Knight for “years of dedication to bluegrass and old-time music.”
Phillip Willard of Yadkinville presided over the event as master of ceremonies, and Steve and Penny Kilby and Knight served as the judges. Mary Wagoner served as scorekeeper, and Jimmy Harrison and Jerry Kerns provided the sound system.
The top bands and their leaders were: Passin’ Thru, C.H. Lineberry, of Star, champion; Sons of the South, Tommy Killian, of Statesville, first runner-up; Breaking It Down, Ted Nixon, of Jonesville, second runner-up; Dry Run, Eric Webster, of Faith, third runner-up.
The winners (identified by their band and hometown) in the individual instrument categories were:
– Fiddle: Marshall Feis, Talley Road, Stanfield, champion; John Hofman, Breaking It Down, Jonesville, first runner-up; Carrie Webster, Dry Run, Faith, second runner-up; and Tommy Killian, Sons of the South, Statesville, third runner-up.
– Banjo: Michael Souther, Sons of the South, champion; Dwayne Runyun, Passin’ Thru, first runner-up; Danny Bowers, Granite Quarry Boys, Granite Quarry, second runner-up; and Dale Mills, Dry Run, third runner-up.
– Guitar: C.H. Lineberry, champion; Ed Dobson, Granite Quarry Boys, first runner-up; Gary Isenhour, Dry Run, second runner-up; and Danny Castevens, Mocksville, third runner-up.
– Mandolin: Hannah Wright, Monroe, champion; Skip Kelley, Granite Quarry Boys, first runner-up; Milton Williams, Spartanburg, S.C., second runner-up; and Mark Burgess, Passin’ Thru, third runner-up.
– Bass: Jim Damron, Passin’ Thru, champion; Eric Webster, first runner-up; Leonard Van Hoose, Talley Road, second runner-up; and Andrea Kirkman, Passin’ Thru Bluegrass, Salisbury, third runner-up.
– Dobro: Jack Lynch, Passin’ Thru, champion; Drew Gray, Salisbury, first runner-up; Audry McCroskey, Finger Pickin’ Good, Mount Pleasant, second runner-up; and Dennis Sheets, Shades of Bluegrass, Landis, third runner-up.
Winners of the Most Promising Talent competition for teens and younger musicians were:
– 11 and younger: Brittany Stanley, Mount Pleasant, champion; Molly Ward, Sherrills Ford, first runner-up; and Abby Cozart, Salisbury, second runner-up.
– 12 to 16 years old: Scarlett Speaks, Salisbury, champion.
Livengood said the Civitan Club hopes to attract more younger musicians to the convention next year.
Steve Staton serves as club president.