Bluegrass Gospel Express

HISTORY

Mary Sue and Linc began singing together around 1991 and before long they were moved to sing at their churches.  After playing a couple songs at Mary Sue's church (Hollywood Church of the Nazarene), Jerry approached them and asked if he could join in.  When the trio (Gospel Express) later performed at the Leonardtown Church of the Nazarene they shared the platform with "Glory Bound", another local gospel bluegrass group.  Not long afterward "Glory Bound" decided to go their separate ways freeing David Dixon (mandolin), Phil Burch (Guitar), Ed Stapanon (Bass), and Alfred Alexander (Resonator Guitar) to team up with Gospel Express.  Before long, they were ready for the recording studio and produced their first CD, adding "Bluegrass" to their name to avoid confusion with another group in Pennsylvania.

Not long after they finished in the studio, Alfred decided it was time to move on.  Then sadly, Mr. Burch's hands began to give him trouble making it painful for him to play and causing the band to look for another musician.  God smiled on their mission, leading Bill Davis to the band to pick some real bluegrass banjo and sing a few songs.  Then along came Luke Brewer who took over duties on bass.  And, since friends don't let friends pick alone, Billy convinced his friend John Pugh to play guitar and what a great baritone voice he has!  Somehow the band managed to make a lot of trips to the studio despite their already busy schedules and recorded three more projects over the next several years.

Then Luke too developed trouble with his hands and to fill the void, Eric Shaffer answered the call and provided some great bass work and one pretty fine vocal.  Unfortunately, Eric's time with us was cut short when his career called him south.  Around the same time Ed found his way back into the fold while Billy managed to get himself married and have a baby, leaving him with little time for music.  The band was supported at this juncture with a number of fine musicians who helped keep things moving ahead.  Cecil Norris helped on bass while Bill Adams, Guy Herbert, and Dale Ferguson brought their banjos when asked and Jerry McGinnis laid down some fiddle tracks on a recording.

As Ed began making plans to retire and move away, BGE had to look long and hard to fill the gaps being created.  Finally, Steve Silvati answered the ad we put in the local web site for a bass player, bringing a lot of fun and talent with him.  Here we need to make special note of Steve's exceptional bass playing, bass vocals, his powerful Christian conviction, and the energy he brings.  Once again the end of another band freed another great talent to join us when Steve brought his friend Curt Moss to see us after "Flying Blind Bluegrass" had called it quits.  Curt, an exceptional guitarist, multi-talented musician, and amazing lead singer (in fact, the guy who had pointed out our ad to Steve), stepped in to add his spark.  Then, as if God hadn't already showered plenty of His blessings on us, Aaron Malone showed up with his outstanding talent on the fiddle after moving from California, finding a home in a local church, and then a second home with Bluegrass Gospel Express.

Over the next several years, the band went through more changes and recorded two more CDs, clearly always under God's watchful eye.  Aaron left us to join the Fitzmaurice band, an incredible secular group that may soon reach national standing.  At that point Bill Adams joined us as a full member for a year, replacing fiddle with banjo on stage and in the studio.  Now we are looking for God's choice to fill out the sound as He thinks best, be it fiddle, banjo, Dobro, or whatever talent comes to us.

The band has appeared on stage with The Hollywood Harmoneers,  Doyle Lawson and Quick Silver, The Lewis Family,
The Isaacs, The Forbes Family, Larry Sparks, The Bishops, The Dixie Melody Boys, The Dove Brothers, Palmetto State Quartet, New Found Road, Sonrise, All 4 Hym, Grasstowne and many other top gospel groups.

"Your Fare's Been Paid" story:

Covering several years of collected songs and talented musicians, we know you'll enjoy it.  Three banjo players, three bass players, four guitar players, an out-of-this-world fiddle and eight different lead singers make this our most diverse and exciting project yet.  Released at the end of 2005, it includes 18 songs of the many we had been performing since our previous project.  It sounds great, very much due to the expert work of our engineer, Jeff Covert, at Wally Cleaver's Studio.  Jeff even helped us hook up with Ed Dickerson who added some great  fiddle to a few of the songs.  Linc Snyder was close to retirement from his job and for years had been making music for people on his own and with whomever he could get to join him.  Even then he found time during lunch breaks to introduce Mary Sue to the guitar and to harmony singing.  He inspired her to pick up a banjo and from there the band grew.  Throughout that growth Linc has been the rock we could all lean on and one who was always ready with songs that would lift hearts to God.  “My Home’s a Sight to See” is a current favorite of his and touches him as he sings it as much as it does the listeners.  This song is typical of the sweet melodies and lyrics that convey his Christian spirit.  The rest of Bluegrass Gospel Express want to express here our love, respect and appreciation for Abraham Lincoln Snyder.

PAST APPEARANCES:

March 16, 2013 (Saturday) @7:00 PM with Sonrise at Grace Brethren Church, 13000 Zekiah Drive, Waldorf, MD20601 (301-645-0407)

March 24, 2012 - Grace Chapel Ministries, Helen, MD
April 21, 2012 - Bluegrass Gospel Express 20th Anniversary Concert, Church of the Nazarene, Hollywood, MD
May 5, 2012 - Good News Baptist Tabernacle,King George, VA
May 25, 2012 - New Song Coffee House, Church of the Nazarene, Leonardtown, MD
July 15, 2012 - Church of the Nazarene, Waynesville, OH                                                                                                                              August 18, 2012 (Saturday) @ 6:00 PM - Lexington Park Baptist Church, 46855 S. Shangri-La Drive, Lexington Park, MD 20653 (301-862-2552) Refreshments will be available.                                                                                                                                                           August 19, 2012 (Sunday) - Both services at Hollywood Methodist Church                                                                                           September 8, 2012 (Saturday) @ 6:00 PM - Holiday Park Camp Ground, 14620 Drapers Mill Road, Greensboro, MD (410-482-6797) September 22, 2012 (Saturday) @ 6:00 PM - Sonrise's 35th Anniversary Concert, Chancellor Baptist Church, 11324 Gordon Road, Fredericksburg, VA 22407 (540-786-6927)                                                                                                                                                           October 13, 2012 (Saturday) @ 6:00 PM - Solomon's Boardwalk Pavilion, Solomons Island, MD                                                        October 27, 2012 (Saturday @) 12:00 Noon - Bluegrass for Hospice, Flat Iron Farm, Great Mills, MD (301-737-3004)                November 2 & 3, 2012 (Friday & Saturday) @ 7:00 PM - The Grace Old Opry, Grace Brethren Church, 13000 Zekiah Drive, Waldorf, MD20601 (301-645-0407)                                                                                                                                                                                   November 11, 2012 (Sunday) @ 10:00 AM - Lighthouse Ministries Church, 28912 Ridge Road Mt. Airy, MD 21771, Pastor Hamby (301-693-7465)                                                                                                                                                                                                     December 2, 2012 (Sunday) @ 6:30 PM - Annual Jones Thompson Sing with The Hollywood Harmoneers at the  Hollywood Church of the Nazarene, Hollywood, MD

March 25, 2011 - Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, Lexington Park, MD
April 11, 2011 - Charlotte Hall Veteran's Home, Charlotte Hall, MD
April 18, 2011 - Cedar Lane Apartments, Leonardtown, MD
May 2, 2011 - St. Mary's Nursing Center, Leonardtown, MD
June 19, 2011 - Concert on the Square, Leonardtown, MD

April 3, 2010 - Good News Tabernacle, King George, VA
May 2, 2010 - Leonardtown Car Show on the Square, Leonardtown, MD
May 23, 2010 - Lighthouse Ministries, Mt. Airy, MD
August 14, 2010 - Lil Margaret's Bluegrass Festival, Leonardtown, MD
October 17, 2010 - 50th Anniversary of the First Baptist Church of LaPlata, LaPlata, MD
October 30, 2010 - St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Mechanicsville, MD
December 11, 2010 - New Hope Church, Lorton, VA

Cabin Fever Pickin Party, Hampton, VA
Milford Church of the Nazarene, Milford, DE
Easton Church of the Nazarene, Easton, MD
Jesus Jubilee, Fredericksburg, VA
Nanjemoy Baptist Church Cookout & Concert, Nanjemoy, MD
King's Christian Academy, Callaway, MD
All Saints Parish, Avenue, MD
Trinity Episcopal Church, Chaptico, MD
St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Lusby, MD
Marbury Run Park, Marbury, MD
Shiloh United Methodist Church, Hagerstown, MD
Church of the Nazarene, Martinsburg, WV
Culpepper Christian School, Culpepper, VA
Providence Bible Church, Culpepper, VA
Leonardtown Baptist Church, Leonardtown, MD
Calvary United Methodist Church, Waldorf, MD
Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Lexington Park, MD
Mason Neck State Park, Lorton, VA
The York Fair, York, PA
Free Will Methodist Church, Alexandria, VA
Gilbert Run Park, LaPlata, MD