Tom Godleski &
Bios
&
Venues
The Band:
Lead singer and bass player Tom Godleski began what would become the band Buncombe Turnpike in the fall of 1997. With three acclaimed albums under their belt, the band has grown from their original four piece line-up into an energetic bluegrass quintet featuring the 2004 national champion Tony Reece, on resonator guitar. Darrell Earwood on Banjo, Micah Hanks on guitar, Caleb Hanks on mandolin. All five players are North Carolina natives. Buncombe Turnpike plays a variety of heartfelt tunes ranging from traditional and contemporary bluegrass to gospel and hand crafted Buncombe Turnpike originals. With their crowd pleasing demeanor, seasoned musicianship, and powerful vocals, the band has made a name for themselves among traditional and contemporary listeners alike.
In July of 2002, the band released their first album titled ‘The Ballad of Baldy John and Jake’ featuring seven Buncombe Turnpike originals and three traditional pieces which was voted the #10 Bluegrass Album of the year by devout WNCW listeners.
It is no surprise that their 2004 sophomore release ‘Blackwater Bottom’ made waves on the air and on the stage proving yet again that one of the premier bluegrass bands from the musical hotbed of Asheville NC. ‘Blackwater Bottom’ was voted #10 Bluegrass Album of The Year by WNCW listeners and was the #54 album in the top 100, and received a “Highlight” review in the August 2005 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.
B. T.’s third c. d. “Picker’s Paradise,” released in the summer of 2006, was the number nine pick in the bluegrass category by WNCW listeners for 2006. Picker’s Paradise also received a great review in Bluegrass Unlimited.
Some of Buncombe Turnpike’s accomplishments are,
March 2007 - Finished in the top eight of the CMT contest “Music City Madness” with their video “Black Sedan.”
April – 2007 Traveled to Majorca Spain to play for the Bailey Mountain Cloggers in The World Folk Dance Festival.
July – 2007 Opened for Marty Stuart at The Bele Chere Festival.
September – 2007 First place finish in the bluegrass competition at The North Carolina Mountain State Fair.
September – 2007 Opened for The Cherryholmes Family, and Sam Bush.
Venues & Accomplishments:
2003 IBMA Showcase Band
#10 Best Bluegrass Album on WNCW for 2002
#10 Best bluegrass Album on WNCW for 2004
#9 Best Bluegrass album on WNCW for 2006
#54 of WNCW’s top 100 Albums of the year for 2004
Article in Bluegrass Now Magazine, April 2005
“Highlight” review in Bluegrass Unlimited, August 2005
Top eight finish in CMT’s Music City Madness online video contest, Feb. 2007 for their video of the song,” Black Sedan.”
Bele Chere Street Festival,[ The largest in the southeast.] every year from 2000 through 2008 Asheville NC
Sour Wood Festival 2000, 2001, Black Mtn. NC
Appalachian Heritage Festival 2002, Boone NC
Apple Festival 2002, Waynesville NC
Pickin' at Chimney Rock 2002 -opening act for David Holt and The Cockman Family
First Night Asheville NC 2000
Spoleto Festival 2002 & 2003, Charleston SC
Western NC State Fair
-3rd Place in Band competition 2000, 2002
-3rd in 2000, 2nd in 2001 and 2003 for Guitar competition
-3rd in 2000 and 2001, 2nd in 2003 for Mandolin competition
-1st in 2003 for Banjo competition-1st in 2003 for bass competition-1st in 2003 for band competition -1st in 2007 for band competition
Live Radio Broad Casts for WWNC
L live Radio Broad Casts for WNCW
The King Pup Radio Hour
The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC
The Water Shed, Black Mtn. NC, opening for Jeannette Williams
Shindig On The Green, Asheville NC
Pickin' at the Park, Canton NC
The Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Parkway NC
The Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
Jack of the Wood, Asheville NC
Westville Pub, Asheville NC
Stecoah Valley Arts Center, Stecoah, N.C.
2004 Earth Day Festival – Hendersonville NC
2003, 2005 Tri states Bluegrass Festival, Kendallville Indiana
2005 Barnes Family Bluegrass Festival, Aledo Ill
Albino Skunk Festival, Greer SC 2004, 2007
The Red Light Café, Atlanta Ga.
2003 Downtown After Five, Asheville NC
The Neighborhood Theater, Charlotte NC
Magnolia St. Pub, Spartanburg SC
Hiawasee Bluegrass Festival, Hiawasee Ga. 2004
The Orange Peel, Asheville N. C. {opened for Blue Highway}
National Tourism Dinner, Holiday Inn Sunspree, Asheville, N C
The Purple Onion, Saluda, N. C.
The Town Pump, Black mountain, N. C.
Colonial Theater, Canton, N. C.
Burnsville Town Center, Burnsville, N. C.
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, N. C.
Fines Creek Bluegrass Festival, every year from 2004 to 2008 Waynesville, N. C.
Nantahala Outdoor Center, Almond, N. C.
Chicken Pickin’ Bluegrass Festival Hot Springs, N. C.
Grove Arcade, Asheville, N. C.
Copper Crest Inn, Hendersonville, N. C.
Montford Arts and Music Festival 2008, Asheville, N. C.
Macedonia Baptist Church, Asheville, N. C.
Emma United Methodist Church, Asheville, N. C.
Bitterroot Valley Bluegrass Festival 2006, Hamilton Montana
Live at Leatherwoods, Shelby, N. C.
The Lodge at Wolf Ridge, Mars Hill NC
The Halo, Johnson City TN
Bear Lake Reserve, Tuckaseegee NC
Mountain Dance and Folk Festival,[The oldest folk festival in the country] Asheville NC years 2003 through 2008
North Carolina Arts Educators Conference, Asheville NC
Big Pine Volunteer Fire Department, Big Pine NC
North Carolina Tax Collector Conference, Asheville NC
Out Among the Stars Bluegrass Festival, Benton, Pa. 2007
Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival, Loganton Pa.2008
Asheville Community Theater , Asheville Jams Concert Series, Asheville, N. C.2008
N. C. Barbecue and Bluegrass Festival, Asheville, N. C. 2009
Brothers Micah and Caleb Hanks were born and bred in the mountains of Asheville, N. C. Influenced by their father Bucky Hanks, a well known Bluegrass banjo player in the region, the boys began playing acoustic instruments at an early age. After more than a decade of exploring virtually every genre of music available in their mom and dad's record collections, the Hanks boys finally began to recognize their upbringing. Micah and Caleb now perform regularly in a variety of groups, and particularly enjoy bringing their approach to drive, melody, and rhythm to the progressive foundation already set in place by Tom and other Buncombe Turnpike members before them. Micah and Caleb are currently recording a long awaited CD with their dad Bucky. The CD should be released in the spring of 2009.
Not only is Caleb Buncombe Turnpike’s mandolin player, he is an accomplished on both the upright, and electric bass. Caleb also sang harmony vocals on Tom’ solo c. d., “Fresh Preserves.’ He is also one of the founding members of the rock band, “Dawn of the Dude,” and is currently the front man for the “Nova Echo” rock band.
Older brother Micah is Buncombe Turnpike’s guitar player, and is also an accomplished upright bass player. Micah also showed his talent in the recording studio by producing Tom’ s solo c. d. “Fresh Preserves.” He also played guitar, and sang harmony vocals on the project. Micah is a also a journalist, and writes a column for UFO magazine.
Tom Godleski- Bass & Lead Vocals
Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, Tom’s mother took him to the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival where he developed a love for mountain music. Tom was influenced by the early recordings of music legends Johnny Cash, Doc Watson, John Denver, and later Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp. The first live concert Tom can remember seeing was Doc Watson at the Asheville Civic Center. Tom began his musical career at the age of 29 when he and his high school friend, James Hembree, began performing in various contry, rock, blues, and bluegrass bands. In 1997, Tom began what would become the bluegrass band, “Buncombe Turnpike.”
Tom has had two short stories published. One in The Timber Creek Review, and one in Words of Wisdom literary magazines. He has also written two plays. One called “A Buncombe Turnpike Sunset,” which the band performed at the Folk art Center in Asheville. The other play, written in 2008 is titled’ Fresh Preserves..” The play “Fresh Preserves,” is based on Tom’s 2008 solo c. d. of the same name, and is currently being considered by The Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre at Mars Hill College. Tom also wrote the song, “Black Sedan’ A music video of the song was produced by Legacy Films. The video was entered in CMT’s very first “Music City Madness” online video contest in the spring of 2007. The video finished in the top eight in the country. Buncombe Turnpike was the only all acoustic band in the competition. Tom is a member of the Intenational Bluegrass Music Association and The North Carolina Storytelling Guild. He is a kindergarten teacher assistant at Claxton Elementary School in Asheville, but he also owns a small lawn mowing business. Tom's talents are, vocalist, songwriter, bassist, harmonica player, woodcarving, landscaper, writing short stories, story telling, and rock work. Tom lives on the property that his grandfather bought in 1944, the same property where he grew up. Tom lives there with his high school sweetheart Terri. They tend a small flock of Shetland Sheep, a few laying hens, and their horse,”Satchel.”.
Terri and Tom have two grown sons, Taylor and Bryan.
A Brief History:
Between the years of 1827 and 1861, the Buncombe Turnpike was the main road that made its way through the mountains of Western North Carolina on a 75-mile route from Greeneville, Tennessee to Greenville, South Carolina. Named after the county through which most of it ran, the road was an important element to the local economy for livestock drovers, farmers, and craftsman alike. The turnpike was also a means for socializing in the otherwise remote regions of the mountains. After a long day of driving livestock, drovers would frequently gather to eat, drink, trade stories, sing, and play music.
From the late1820's to the spring of 1861, trade on the Buncombe Turnpike flourished. However, with the onset of the war between the states, commerce was reduced to a standstill. The turnpike became a victim of neglect and ill repair, due to the suffering economy and the call for men to fight for the Confederate and Union armies. Before trade on the turnpike could rebound, the long awaited railroad made its way to the mountains. Rails were laid where much of the turnpike's roadbed had been. The drover's era of Western North Carolina ended, and the age of the "iron horse" had begun. Today, one can still see remnants of the old road, memories of a time before hard-packed dirt gave way to way to blacktop and railroad tracks.. For some, The Buncombe Turnpike is still a source of stories, songs, and music.
Banjo picker Bucky Hanks has been a member of the Asheville NC music community for the past 35 years or so. Bucky grew up in the Asheville area and began playing music at the age of nine (he mostly played the pop music of the 1950's at first, Elvis, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, etc.) but soon began to move into the traditional folk music of the Southern Appalachian mountains as a teenager. Bucky attended UNC-A where he graduated with BA degrees in both History and Classical Languages in 1982. He has taught Latin for the Buncombe County School System as well as the Strings program. He has done productions at Flat Rock Playhouse since the early 1980's as well as productions at the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre at Mars Hill. In 2000 he was ordained into the priesthood of the Episcopal Church and currently serves as the Rector of the Church of the Redeemer in the Woodfin community of Asheville NC, a small stone church which sits on a hill overlooking the French Broad River and Riverside Drive,the old "drover's road" which was the original Buncombe Turnpike. Bucky is the dad of Micah and Caleb, the fine guitarist and mandolin picker of Buncombe Turnpike. What more could any dad ask than to be able to play in the great group Buncombe Turnpike with his two sons and Tom, the multi-talented singer/songwriter and leader of Buncombe Turnpike.
