Southern Illinois Bluegrass & BBQ Festival - Online at http://www.BluegrassBBQ.com

  18th Annual

Southern Illinois Bluegrass Festival

Presented by TourSalem!!

September 4th, 5th, 6th, 2008

 Amazing Bluegrass Entertainment Since 1990!

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   - Thursday....9/4/08
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Leroy Troy

Maybe you saw  Leroy Troy at a festival, on TV, or on Hee Haw.
 Where ever you saw him I guarantee you enjoyed him!   And
that is why you are here.  We are glad you found us on the web!

It all started when Leroy Troy was only 2 years old when he got
a toy fiddle for Christmas. Then at the age of 7 he discovered
his parents Flatt and Scruggs record. He wore that Foggy
Mountain Breakdown record out and that started his
fascination with the banjo.  

When Leroy was 12 years old, he got his first real instrument, a
 Fiddle!  His dad would take him to a little grocery store in his
home town where people would gather to play country music.  
Celebrities such as Roy Acuff, Charlie Collins, Bill Monroe, and
The McCormick Brothers would also gather there.  It was at
that little grocery store that Leroy Troy cut his teeth on country
music!  He even got a few pointers on fiddle from Roy Acuff
himself!

When Leroy Troy was 13 he found his first banjo on a junk
truck at a flea market. He paid $7.00 for it. The frets where burnt
off so he removed the fret board and made a fretless out of it.  
His dad skinned a ground hog to use for a banjo head. The
bullet hole did not even affect the tone at all!  He taught himself
how to play the banjo by watching people play at jams and
then going home and practicing.  At this time he also started
learning how to playing the bass the same way.

His first paying job was at the early age of 14 playing bass with
a local band Lonnie Jones.  Then when Leroy Troy was 15 he
joined The Bailes Brothers  playing bass, banjo and fiddle.  He
played with them for 2 years and even toured Europe!

By 1980 Leroy Troy had developed a reputation as a good Old
Time Banjo Picker and Singer minus the banjo tricks.  Then
when he was 17 he met an old timer named Cordell Kemp.
Leroy was amazed with Cordell's banjo playing. Cordell had
learned first hand from"Uncle Dave Macon" star of The Grand
Ole Opry.  Cordell showed Leroy some banjo licks and tricks!  
Cordell Kemp influenced young Leroy so much he wrote and
recorded "Ballad of Cordell Kemp."  This recording is available
on the tape Backroads.

Leroy practiced, refined and expanded those banjo tricks and
it was not long before he dazzled a nationwide audience on
the hit TV Show Hee Haw.  It was on this show Leroy Troy
honed his country humor with some help from the Hee Haw
cast Grandpa Jones, Archie Campbell, Junior Samples, and
Minnie Pearl.  Leroy made regular appearances on Hee Haw
the seasons of 1984 and 1985, playing his banjo and he also
played the part of Billy Bob in the "Farmer's Daughter" skit
along side of Linda Thompson and Kenny Price.


Leroy Troy has been entertaining audiences since 1979 and
continues to do so from New York to California,  Maine to
Florida and even Ireland and England.  Be sure to check out
his schedule and catch him at a festival near you!

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We support the

The BBQ Throwdown & Jam ~ Salem, Illinois

A Few of Our Sponsors:

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* Formerly known as the Salem Bluegrass & Chowder Festival

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