Julie Adams and the Rhino Boys
Hampshire Heritage Days 2001

Julie's warm, clear voice has been heard on Mountain Stage for 18 years. Each week she sings a song--could be country, folk, jazz, pop, rhythm and blues. With the average of two new live shows taped every month that adds up to nearly 500 different songs! She often lends harmony to the diverse musical guests on Larry Groce's show--from folk-pop songwriter Sarah McLachlan to the 14-piece Latin band, Cubanismo, or the Swedish traditional band, Frifot. And she writes some of her own tunes, which appear on the Rhino Boys band's CDs, Struck by Moonlight and I Don't Mind Walking.

Born in New York state and raised in western Maryland, Julie grew up in a family full of words and music. Her parents were college teachers and her brother and sister played rock and classical music respectively. She grew up influenced by classical music and big band swing, filtered through the chaos of 1960s folk and rock, and discovered she liked a little bit of everything! Julie stayed up listening to distant late-night AM radio, sneaked into music clubs when she was too young, and played in all different kinds of bands. She loves the challenging variety of music on Mountain Stage.

Steve Hill, of Opelika Alabama, combines southern roots with the studied mathematical mind of an economist. He mixes jazz chords with R&B rhythms and a funky pop sensibility. Ammed Solomon, from Cincinnati, Ohio, plays a collection of clay and wooden drums, congas, tom-toms, cymbals and other curious noisemakers.

The three have played together in various Charleston, WV bands for over 20 years, making for a very smooth sounding show that should appeal to just about everybody. If you haven't yet heard Julie and the other musicians on Mountain Stage, tune into West Virginia Public Radio, station WVEP in the Eastern Panhandle, 88.9 or 89.3 FM, on Sunday afternoons and Saturday evenings.

Julie Adams and the Rhino Boys