Tom T. Hall to perform at Song of the Mountains at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, VA

Tom T. Hall to perform at Song of the Mountains

Marion, VA- Song of the Mountains proudly presents the Ol’ Story Teller, Tom T. Hall in concert at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, VA on Saturday, April 5^th at 7:00 pm. “We are very excited and fortunate to have Tom T. Hall on our concert series” said Tim White, host and executive coordinator of the show. “Tom retired 8 years ago and seldom does personal appearances anymore. He will be performing a full one hour concert for our show on April 5^th.” This concert will be taped for broadcast on PBS.

Tom T. Hall was born May 25, 1936 in Olive Hill, KY. He first played a guitar at age 4 and his father, Rev. Virgil L. Hall, who was a brick plant worker and an ordained Baptist minister, gave him his own guitar when he was eight. This encouraged the youngster to grow from writing poetry to writing songs and at age 9 he wrote his first number ,”Haven’t I Been Good To You.”  A local musician named Clayton Delaney taught Hall the musical technique that would serve him well in his career.

            Hall’s mother, Della, died when he was 11.  Four years later, his father was shot in a hunting accident, which prevented him from working.  Hall quit school and took a job in a local garment factory to support himself and his father.  He also formed his first band, the Kentucky Travelers, and played Bluegrass at local schools as well as at a radio station in Morehead, KY.  Hall wrote a jingle for one of the radio stations sponsors, the Polar Bear Flour Company, and later became a D.J. at the station when the band broke up to serve their country.  Hall enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1957 and was stationed in Germany where he finished high school and performed on the Armed Forces Radio Network, singing mostly his own original songs. 

Recently, Hall released a collection of songs he co-wrote with his wife, Tom T. Hall Sings Miss Dixie and Tom T., on their independent multi-award (inc. Recorded Event) winning Bluegrass label Blue Circle Records. It has already received no less than 70 five star rated reviews.

Throughout his career, Hall was nominated for seven CMA Awards, including Entertainer of the Year in 1973; received an RIAA Gold certification for his album, Greatest Hits Volume II for sales of 500,000 units; and received the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes in 1972 for Tom T. Hall’s Greatest Hits. He also had 33 Top 20 singles on the Billboard Country Singles chart between 1967 and 1985.  He is a member of the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and has an honorary degree at South Plains College in Levelland, TX and is a Doctor of Musical Arts from Morehead State University in Morehead, KY.

 It has just been announced that Tom T. Hall is a new member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN.  Hall’s induction along with that of The Statler Brothers is scheduled for June 29^th,2008.

Also scheduled on the Song of the Mountains concert on April 5^th is James Leva & Purgatory Mountain, Pleasant Hill and Bill and Maggie Anderson.

 Song of the Mountains is currently airing on over 165 PBS outlets across the United States. Tickets for the concert at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, April 5^th  are $ 25.00 reserved seating and may be purchased at the Lincoln Theatre Box Office in Marion, VA or online at www.songofthemountains.org. The concert begins at 7:00 pm.  For information or tickets by phone call 276-783-6093.

Song of the Mountains is underwritten by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, Mountain States Health Alliance, Virginia is for Lovers, www.virginia.org, Bryant Label Co. of Blountville, TN, TEDS, the General Francis Marion Hotel in Marion, VA, Carter Family Fold, The Bank of Marion, Alpha Natural Resources, Emory & Henry College and the Music Shed. Special support from Marion, Chilhowie, Saltville and Smyth County, VA.

Press info: Tim White 423-323-7829