Discovering Central Kentucky Music with Randy Westbrook

George "Boogie G" Burdette and Virgil Gardner were members of The Techniques, a group that was popular in Richmond during the 1970s. George is currently a member of Boogie G & the Titanics.

Billy Luxon, after a brief stint in a band called The Fascinations, was a founding member of The Exiles and he stayed with the group from 1963-1975. He performed with the band on three of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tours, recorded multiple singles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and was with the the group when they changed their name to Exile and recorded two full length albums on the Wooden Nickel label in 1973. After leaving Exile in 1975, Luxon co-founded a legendary club in Richmond, KY called J. Sutter's Mill and went on to a successful career in business. He is also the author of the book Exiled: The Climax and Surrender of Jimmy Stokley, which was published on Acclaim Press and is available at https://www.acclaimpress.com or on amazon.com.

Pam Perry is a musician, songwriter, and teacher who has had a varied career in music which includes being signed to Capitol Records with Wild Rose in the late 1980s and early 1990s, serving as the director of talent at Renfro Valley for several years, and leading the EKU Bluegrass Ensemble.

Wil Freebody is the founder and CEO of the The Lexington School for the Recording and Performing Arts and Long Island Recording Studios in Lexington, KY. He has worked with many musicians and students in the central Kentucky area since 1984.

Dr. John Stroube is the executive director of the Kentucky Music Educators Association and the founder and conductor of the Madison Community Band. He will be conducting the Madison Community Band and the Madison Singers for the American Musical Salute concert on July 3. Dr. Stroube will also serve as the director for the Madison Community Band's Pops at the Park performance on August 13.

Jeff Schmidt from the band Superfecta! One would be hard pressed to find a band from the central Kentucky area that has played more weddings and private parties in the last twenty years than Superfecta. I was a member of this R'n'B/soul/funk/jazz band from 2013 to 2018, so it was great to catch up. Jeff and I played a public domain jazz standard entitled "Bye Bye Blackbird" near the end of the episode.

Curt Chapman toured and recorded with J.D. Crowe for 15 years before co-founding other successful bluegrass projects including Wildfire and Flashback, and he has continued to play consistently with various local bands in the Madison County area and beyond. Curt didn't play any music after the interview due to an injury, but I played a new composition entitled "The Broken Hand Blues."

Mike Howard and Mack Davenport were founding members of The Exiles. Mike left the group in 1969 after he was drafted, and Mack stayed with the group until 1972. Mike and Mack went on to successful careers outside of music, but they have played at various events over the last fifteen years in the Madison County area and Mike continues to perform as a member of The Dooley Gang. We performed a version of the old blues standard "St. James Infirmary" near the end of the video.

Dr. Kathy Bullock is an educator, musician, accompanist, choral director, arranger, scholar, and the former chair of the Berea College Music Department. Dr. Bullock's musical interests cover a wide range of genres including gospel music, classical music, and spirituals.

Parker Hastings was named the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Artist in Residence in 2023, and in early 2025 he was announced as the lead guitarist for the popular Celtic fusion band Gaelic Storm, a group that has topped the world music chart several times and whose music appeared on the soundtrack for Titanic. Hasting's guitar style is deeply rooted in the thumb picking style popularized by Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. He has performed on the Grand Ole Opry multiple times and is a protégé of guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

Derek Isaacs is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter from Berea. He plays consistently throughout the central Kentucky area with groups such as Branch Water Kin, Elvis Cocktail, The Derek Isaacs Band, and in solo settings. After graduating from Berea College with a degree in music, he went on to become a member of the major label post-grunge/alternate band Tantric from 2013 through 2015 serving as a lead guitarist on their Blue Room Archives album. He performed one of his original compositions, "Father," near the end of the episode.

Katherine Rhodus and Lee Anne Browder from the Richmond Area Arts Council! Katherine has served as the chair of the arts council board since 2022, and Lee Anne is the the Arts Education Coordinator/Administrative Assistant for the organization. We talked about programs and events that RAAC sponsors including the upcoming 35th annual Arts Gala coming up on Oct. 4. I played a solo piano version of a track from my One Week in October CD entitled "Ghost of a Summer Solstice" near the end of the episode.