Our Story
Stemwinder
Take a musical journey with this new quartet across time and musical boundaries. Bluegrass to folk and then some. From Norman Blake and Tony Rice to Tom Paxton, & the Carter Family with stops along the way to visit the Eagles, the Byrds, Sam Bush, Dan Fogelberg, Richard Thompson, Michael Martin Murphy, and even the Rolling Stones. Each of the four band member brings their own personal influences to the mix creating an interesting and diverse listening experience.
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Shannon Morton, a native Elizabethtonian, holds down the guitar duties with his smooth, laid back playing style and adds his voice to both lead and harmony vocals.
Dennis Ellis, also from Elizabethton, does the Mandolin chores and sings baritone. If enough of his "fans" are in the room may be persuaded to sing a lead vocal as well!
Pam Minke, lives in Jonesborough and when not working with her new mare "Red Molly" keeps the band in line with her rock solid, inventive bass playing while adding her voice to the harmony mix.
Bob Minke, {Pam's husband and lifelong partner in music} plays banjo, guitar and sings both lead and harmony vocals to complete the quartet.
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What started out as four new friends getting together to jam occasionally has become four really good friends getting together to play music for their family, friends, and fans whenever and wherever they get the chance.
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Come catch a show and enjoy the ride!
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Tweetsie, the Blueridge Stemwinder The East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad was born in this Blue Ridge Mountain country more than a century ago. In the 1880s it was called the "Stemwinder" and later, the "Eat Taters & Wear No Clothes". But it was the children (who rode the swaying cars to numerous summer camps) who christened it with the name that lasted: Tweetsie!