Melvin Goins will perform with Recent Addition and Windy Mountain at the Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road. Doors open at 6 p.m., with music beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 and are sold at the door; refreshments available at the snack bar. Call 703-771-5281.
Introduce yourself:
I'm a traditional bluegrass guitar player. My brother — a banjo player — and I had a television show in Kentucky for 19 years and I've had my own radio shows for 24 years this past January. I even had my picture on the front cover of the Smithsonian magazine. In 2001, my brother and I were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame.
How did you get your start?
When I was growing up at home all my people were old-time banjo players and fiddler players. My father was a coal miner and we worked on farms. On the weekends we'd go to houses and have jams sessions. My brother and I played together. He was a banjo player and I played guitar. We just went and picked and played where ever anyone would let us. And our cousin was a fiddle player we'd go to his house and play old-time fiddle tunes.
How long have you been performing?
I've been performing 56 years this past November.
What has been your best memory when it comes to music?
When I was growing up I always enjoyed listening to the Grand Ole Opry every Saturday night. We didn't even have electricity, but we would sit down as boys and listen to the radio. I always wanted to meet Bill Monroe when I was growing up. I loved the way he played the music. That dream did come true in 1953. My brother and I had a professional job traveling all over the country and later on we got to play shows with him and many others. As the years went by I got to do guests spots on the Grand Ole Opry, too. I went and sang to Bill Monroe a month before he passed away in Tennessee, I'll never forget that.
Describe your sound:
Traditional bluegrass music and gospel singing. The way it started. I play the hard-core traditional bluegrass. That's all I've played since the start.
Biggest musical influences:
Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers were two of my main influences. I grew up listening and wanting to play that music.
Other influences:
I love people, I like to mix with people and talk. I like to help people get started in this business. I've started so many young people. I've educated them and told them how to survive in this industry. I love horses and dogs, too. I love fooling around with them.
Favorite pieces? Why?
My favorite singing is gospel singing. I love all the music as long as it's played right and tells good stories and has good words in it. I don't like music with cussing or bad language so that people won't be ashamed of it. Good family mountain music.
Anyone you would really like to play with? Why?
I'd like to play with all the greats.
Best compliment about a performance?
Because I'm not high headed and down to earth I believe in going out in the crowd. You have to be kind to everyone. They are the ones that help you make your living and pay to see you.
Anything special about the upcoming show?
Well bluegrass music is the biggest now I've ever seen it. It started out kind of laid back, but there is more bluegrass played now all over the world than at any other time. Right now it's the biggest I've seen it, since the beginning. "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and colleges really gave it a boost. It's getting bigger all the time and this show is part of that. There's over 500 bluegrass concerts around the world. I can remember when there was on a few dozen.
Have you played in other countries?
I've played in Canada and I'm going back this year.
Future Plans:
In this business you never know what's going to come up. I work in places I can get and do it right. I'd love to play in California because I've never been. I also have a new DVD of my brother and I. It's called "The Masters of Bluegrass: The Goins Brothers." It's 60 years of bluegrass.
I just hope I can be around a few more years and hope I can be around playing music.