Bluegrass
Galax, Virginia
Johnny Williams grew up in Fries, Virginia, a small community nestled alongside the New River in Grayson County, an area that has long been steeped in bluegrass and old-time music. Johnny soaked up the musical culture around him at fiddler’s conventions, local performances and jam sessions and eventually moved with his family to Danville, on Virginia’s Southside, a region home to diverse musical styles. Johnny became a powerful singer and songwriter and, after stints with soul and blues bands, returned to his bluegrass roots. At a local Opry production, Johnny met Jeanette Finney of Eden, North Carolina, a sought-after singer who joined Johnny’s band Clearwater. They married two years later. Jeanette has performed with Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss, Larry Sparks, among many others. Johnny and Jeanette often perform and write songs independently; each has won the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest, in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, as well as collaborated with distinguished songwriters Dixie and Tom T. Hall.
While 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the Richmond Folk Festival, it also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Music Heritage Trail, a much celebrated and ambitious community and cultural development project linking Franklin County to Dickenson County, showcasing the incredibly rich bluegrass, old-time and gospel music along the way. Without a doubt, one of the truly emblematic bands of the Crooked Road was a scintillating young band of bluegrass pickers who went by the name No Speed Limit, featuring Josh Pickett on guitar, Ryan Blevins on mandolin, Stevie Barr on banjo, Jacob Eller on bass and Amber Collins on vocals. Though mostly teenagers at the time, the band experienced instant success carrying the banner of the Crooked Road, including recording two albums, performing at Tim Kaine’s inauguration for Governor of Virginia in 2006, and even playing for Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Virginia in 2007. The members of No Speed Limit have all gone on to perform with many successful bluegrass bands but still can always be found at the Galax Fiddlers Convention, jamming late into the night at Ryan’s RV at the end of what is affectionately known as “Shithouse Row” for its proximity to a long strip of port-o-johns. A most anticipated and nightly occurrence at Galax is when Johnny comes by the RV to “mash it” with the boys. Well, you’re going to get a little taste of one of these epic jam sessions when the group comes to play the Richmond Folk Festival under the aptly named “Johnny Williams and the Crooked Road Revival.” Fasten your seatbelt, because our sense is that speed limits will not be honored.