The Midnight Plowboys are a traditional roots music string band comprised of talented, fun-loving musicians and stage entertainers. The Asheville-based band is well-known for its diverse musical style, which includes elements of southern fiddle music, bluegrass, Americana, old-time, folk and classic early country songs. Solo and harmony vocals are featured with acoustic instrumental support from fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and bass. The band is perfectly suited for concerts, festivals, conventions, weddings, colleges, square dances, reunions and private parties of all types.
Here's a little band history...
Originally formed in 1980, The Midnight Plowboys performed and recorded professionally until 1990. The band appeared at hundreds of concerts, music and dance festivals, night clubs, conventions, and colleges all over the eastern United States. The legacy includes two albums recorded during the early 1980s for Skyline Records, produced by Grammy-winner Marc Pruett.
The original band members were:
- Ed Partridge, fiddle and vocals
- Bucky Hanks, banjo, guitar, and vocals
- Brian Hunter, guitar and vocals
- Andy Charlton, bass
The Midnight Plowboys were thrilled and honored when asked to hold a “reunion” at the 2012 Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill, NC. This reunion created instant demand for personal appearances, and the Plowboys were reborn with the strong lineup which is featured today:
- Brian Hunter, guitar and vocals
- Laura Boosinger, banjo and vocals
- Emma McDowell, fiddle and vocals
- Mike Hunter, mandolin and vocals
- Robert Reeves, bass and vocals
Laura Boosinger is one of the finest vocalists in all of American traditional music today. She plays and teaches clawhammer banjo and shaped-note singing from the Christian Harmony. Laura is the Executive Director of The Madison County Arts Council, a consultant with the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina, and joins The Midnight Plowboys as an official member after playing with the group since the mid 1980's. Laura was recently inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
Brian Hunter is an original member of The Midnight Plowboys, which he co-founded in 1980. He enjoys singing the classics of the early southern mountain string bands such as The Carter Family and The Stanley Brothers. By day, Brian owns a CPA firm in the historic Montford district of downtown Asheville, NC, which specializes in tax and accounting services for creative professionals such as musicians, media artists, composers and authors.
Mike Hunter has been playing, teaching, and recording mountain music for over 40 years. For decades, Mike has been considered one of the south's premiere mandolin stylists. He has played with numerous bands of various styles, from bluegrass to rockabilly to old time. Through the years, Mike has been a member of Jimmy Martin & The Sunny Mountain Boys, The Hunter Brothers Band, and The Marc Pruett Band. He is a retired forester and lives in Fairview, NC.
Robert Reeves is a native of Buncombe County and a lifelong musician. After selling his race car engine building business to a NASCAR team, he went to work for two NASCAR teams. In 2000, after leaving the racing world, Robert was able to focus on his passion for music, and over the past 15 years has been fortunate to play with some of the finest musicians in Asheville. Robert is a superb lead singer of the early country classics.
Emma McDowell grew up playing music in the WNC area with her family band, The McDowell Family, and continued playing through her youth under her teacher and mentor, Arvil Freeman. Building on her youthful success, Emma was invited to perform her own original material at the 2008 and 2014 IBMA Songwriter Showcases, and has made guest performances with Claire Lynch, Bobby Hicks, Andy Buckner, Joe Penland and Lorraine Conard. Today with The Midnight Plowboys, Emma plays the driving fiddle and offers world-class vocals...high, clear and powerful!
