Beth Coleman

Meet Beth Coleman Home Meet the band Music Photos Show Dates Contact us Beth Coleman was born in Fairfax County, VA when there were beautiful fruit orchards and pastoral land abounded. There was also plenty ofmusic. Bluegrass music was always on the radio, broadcast from American University's WAMU. Beth didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but it must have sunk in somewhere along the way. Bluegrass was her father, James R. Banks' influence, having been born in, and then retiring to Galaxy, Virginia. The other side of the story, her Mom, Faye Banks, brought a love of Hank Williams and Elvis Presley with her from the Mississippi River area of Arkansas. Beth would be remiss if she didn't mention her four brothers and two sister's influences - everything from Credence Clearwater Revival, and Led Zeppelin, to ZZ Top and The Rolling Stones. The road to bluegrass was travelled when Beth, her husband, and children moved from Virginia to New Jersey. In the summer of 2000, while hanging border-wallpaper in her daughter's room, Beth heard a casting call on a local radio station, for a new, live radio barn-dance show. Beth auditioned for the Heartlands Hayride and performed on the first broadcast in September of 2000. Heartlands Hayride was reminiscent of the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's radio barn dance shows, like the Louisiana Hayride, the National Barndance, and the Grand Ol' Opry. So of course, Beth dug deep into the musical archive and discovered great artists like Molly O'Day, the Stanley Brothers, The Monroe Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, Jim and Jesse, and Rose Maddox. You can hear all of Beth's influences in her vocal arrangements. Beth's leadership and organizational talents blossomed as she quickly became co-producer of the show, responsible for the weekly booking and scheduling of country and bluegrass acts. The shows popularity increased as Beth was instrumental in expanding the talent pool to a regional level and increasing it's exposure through various media. By 2002, Beth was also co-directing, booking and organizing a 3-day bluegrass festival held in early September in Mountain View Park in Wind Gap, PA now known as the Echoes from the Hills Bluegrass Festival. Combining Beth's vocal talents, with her hands-on experience in the organizational and relationship aspects of bluegrass music, make Beth a well-round figure in the area bluegrass scene. Beth brings all of these experiences to life in each of her songs.