Abita Springs Opry Media - 2005-11 Featuring the Abita Strings, Jerry Hess, Whistlestop, The Petty Bones and Corey Ledet

MEDIA - AO2005-11

The Abita Springs Opry is a series of music concerts held six times a year and is produced by a nonprofit organization, Abita Opry Inc. The show has the mission of preserving and presenting Louisiana "Roots" music. Our music is played primarily acoustically, in its original form.

Our main thrust is old-time Country, Bluegrass, and traditional Southern Gospel music, but we often present other forms of traditional Louisiana music such as Cajun, Zydeco, Irish, or other types that reflect the many different groups of people who are part of our diverse culture.

Abita Strings

This home town bluegrass ensemble is one of the Opry's "House Band". Setting the pace for every show, the Abita Strings have taken Traditional to another level.

Jerry Hess

This performance features one of the best known guitar pickers in the area, Mr Jerry Hess.

Jerry has performed at the Opry a number of times. He will be presenting various guitar finger picking styles with accompanying vocals. Jerry is a virtuoso on the guitar and always is a treat for his audiences.

Whistlestop

Whistlestop specializes in hard driving traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music. All band members are experienced musicians. Ed Genois led and performed with his previous group, River Road Ramblers, for more than ten years at festivals and shows in Louisiana and Mississippi. Joe and Beverly Black often performed as a husband and wife duet, and also participated in other bands while living in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. David Austin formed and led his own bluegrass band, Southern Express, playing in Louisiana and Mississippi. He later teamed with two other band leaders as Old River Express.

The Petty Bones

Featuring Jerry Crowell and Anne Langston Crowell performing backwoods roots music, from soulful blues to foot stompin bluegrass, from old time country to modern folk, they have it all covered. One of the Abita Opry "House Bands".

Acoustically based multi-instrumentalists, with emotionally charged songwriting and vocals, The Petty Bones continue to deliver a variety of rootsy original, traditional & cover tunes to an ever increasing group of loyal listeners from all ages and backgrounds.

Corey Ledet

Corey "Lil Pop" Ledet has been setting local Zydeco and Cajun dance hall and festival stages on fire. Whether he is playing his single row or piano key accordion, Corey's music ranges in style from old-time Creole and Zydeco to music done his own way.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Corey and his band have become local favorites in dance halls all over southwest Louisiana and Texas.