Nathan Stanley Band and Mission Blue honor the King of Mountain Soul
Join us for a musical tribute to the one and only Dr. Ralph Stanley!
Local bluegrass favorites Mission Blue open for the touring Nathan Stanley Band. Yes- Nathan is Ralph Stanley's grandson! Don't miss this incredible evening of unforgettable harmonies and picking from the legendary musical catalog of Ralph Stanley.
Tickets are $30 GA, $25 for OCA members. Online sales end at 6PM day of show or when sold out. This event will be held indoors. ADA seating available, please email info@occidentalcenterforthearts.org to arrange. Beer, wine, refreshments available. Art gallery open during intermission.
Legendary American bluegrass artist, Dr. Ralph Edmund Stanley, was internationally known for his unique, innovative style of singing and banjo playing. In 1976, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Lincoln Memorial University, spawning the popular title “Dr. Ralph Stanley.” He was inducted into the International Music Hall of Honor in 1992, and the Grand Ole Opry in 2000, the same year in which his work was featured in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? - for which he won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
After considering retirement and even scheduling a farewell tour in 2014, Ralph Stanley later announced a welcome decision to continue gracing the country with his beloved, signature style of music.
On June 23, 2016, Dr. Ralph Stanley passed away while battling complications from skin cancer. He will forever be remembered in the hearts and minds of his family and fans, and his legend lives on through his music, which will inspire generations of artists to come.
Read more about Dr. Ralph Stanley here.
Nathan Stanley is the grandson of Bluegrass Music Icon Dr. Ralph Stanley and is no exception to the family tradition. Having garnered several charting singles in Inspirational Country Music and Southern Gospel Music, Nathan has come front and center as a music Evangelist.
Through decades of performing—spanning the U.S. and international tours—Nathan has achieved numerous milestones. In 2006, he performed for the Queen of England, and in 2011, his single “White Dove” (featuring Vince Gill) reached #1 on the Inspirational country music charts. That same year, his album “My Kind of Country” was named Classic Country Album of the Year by the National Traditional Country Music Association.
Read more about Nathan Stanley.
Mission Blue has quickly become one of Sonoma County's most beloved bluegrass bands, delivering their special brand of rhythm, instrumental craft, and harmony singing. A deep well of tradition informs Mission Blue’s sets – one can expect songs from the The Stanley Brothers, Larry Sparks, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Mac Martin and Red Allen, as well as bluegrass innovators such as J.D. Crowe and The New South, Hot Rize, Southern Blend and The Johnson Mountain Boys. They also salt each set with reinterpretations of country hits, folk songs and ballads. Based in Sonoma County, their traditional 5-piece format features Dana Frankel on fiddle, AJ Frankel on guitar, Sam Reed on banjo, David Thiessen on mandolin, and Tom Sours on bass fiddle.