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Grand Masters

The Festival Grand Master is a special personality that bestows blessings upon all songwriters in Music Land and anoints them with special writing powers during the festival.

The Grand Master is presented with the Keys to Music Row in a ceremony that this year will take place at 8 PM, outdoors on the main stage.

2012 Grand Master R B Stone

Come see Fest 2012 Grand Master R. B. Stone whoop it up Friday 7:45pm June 1, 2012 at the Dan McGuiness stage. As Grand Master, R.B. will be presented the "Keys To Music Row" and bestows blessing upon all songwriters as we oficially open the 3 day live original music party!

Born in Huntingburg, Indiana Roland Bennett Stone Jr. RB’s family moved to Ohio when
he was 1. Both parents were huge music lovers are who he credits for his versatile musical
upbringing. His father a Blues/ Boogie, Rock n Roller, loved music that made you move like,
Little Richard, James Brown and Jerry Lee Lewis. His mother listened to Tennessee Ernie Ford, Janis Joplin, Herb Alpert, Johnny Cash, Sly and the Family Stone, Elvis and the variety of hits from the 60’s. The highpoint of his week was going to the record store to buy new 45’s with his allowance, and playing them until his mother made him go to bed.

At 12, his mother showed him some chords on the piano and Bill Withers’ hit “Lean On Me”
was the first song he learned and the ball started rolling. He started amking up Blues/Boogie songs over the next years. 18 and just out of High School, music was still a dream that seemed to belong to others, so he hired on with the Railroad traveling the Midwest with a 90 man rail gang 4 days a week living in 10 man camp cars. After 2 years with the Railroad he accepted an offer as an Assistant Manager at a Plumbing, Electric and Heating store in Ohio, 2 1/2 years later he had a house, 2 cars, 2 trucks, 2 motorcycles and was Managing his own store.

2010 Grand Master Rio Grand

Rio Grand is energetic, enthusiastic, entertainers sent to earth to put a smile on one single persons face, but in the process, over the years, with their music and electrifying personalities, have managed to put smiles on millions of faces throughout the world.

The scenes in each of their own rear view mirrors....

2009 Festival Grand Master Mel McDaniel

Mel McDaniel signed a record deal with Capitol in 1976. He had some early success with the single "Have a Dream on Me," but really began to steamroll thereafter, ending up with a string of country Top Tens that stretched through the 1980s.

2011 Grand Master Joey Welz

Hard to believe that Joey Welz, who began his career as featured pianist with BILL HALEY and the COMETS(MCA) back in the 50s, is still creating new music and doing concerts around the country and around the world in the 21st Century.

He has released new music in each decade and all of his records have been digitally transferred to CD. He has recorded 75 Singles and 80 albums over the years and is a gold charter member of the ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME, and has been inducted into The Rock A Billy Hall of Fame and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone named him; One of The Top 100 Immortals of Rock & Roll.

2007 Grand Master Stella Parton

There are times in life when you know you have met an intrinsically spiritual person who simply lights up a room. Anyone who has had the opportunity to see a Stella concert will agree that her allure and her passionate voice will make you think an angel has descended.

Stella learned her first song when she was only five and made her radio and television debut when she was nine....

2008 Festival Grand Master Tom T. Hall

Tom T. Hall is known as a storyteller, a songwriter with a keen eye for detail and a knack for narrative. Many musicians have covered his songs -- most notably Jeannie C. Riley's 1968 hit "Harper Valley P.T.A." -- and he also has racked up a number of solo hits, including seven number one singles.