Specializing in bluegrass and Western swing, the Byron Berline Band offers upbeat, fun-filled shows that audiences of all ages enjoy.
Byron Berline, who performed at the very first Festival back in 1972, is a three-time National Fiddle Champion whose career reads like a Who’s Who in the music business, performing with such notables as The Eagles, The Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan. Byron has extensive movie and commercial soundtrack credits and appeared in such movies as Star Trek and Back to the Future III. Berline has recorded seven solo albums, including his highly acclaimed Fiddle & a Song with guest performances by Vince Gill, Mason Williams, Earl Scruggs and Bill Monroe. In 1996 the album was nominated for two GRAMMY awards.
Among other members of the band is Oklahoma’s master of the banjo, Billy Perry who’s been instrumental in the music scene of this state since the age of 13 when he was performing at Springlake Amusement Park in OKC. In addition to his banjo, Billy can often be seen playing his dobro and singing lead vocals. Guitarist Jim Fish, whose band once opened for The Rolling Stones, uses a custom-made “vintaged” Triggs acoustic guitar and a Telecaster with a string-bender device to contribute to the sound of the band. Greg Burgess plays guitar and fiddle and has ranked in the top 10 at a number of national fiddle contests. Bassist Richard Sharp has shared the stage with such greats as Hank Thompson, Texas Playboys and Boxcar Willie. Drummer Steve Short has recorded and played with every big name imaginable, including Reba McIntire. This year marks their 22nd year playing as a band at the Festival.