Meade Sings

There were many very talented people last night. Some were just amazing. I felt very inadequate. However, the audience seemed to really like my yodeling, and my "sweet tea". I got a request for "sweet tea" so I did that one, and then I followed up with "two step 'round the Christmas tree"- a Michael Martin Murphy tune, also done later by Suzy Bogguss. I got a good response from the table next to me afterwards. There were 11 performers for the night (all from each month that won for the monthly prize- January through November). After getting a wild response, I thought maybe I had a chance at being in the top three finalists. I kept hoping and praying that would happen. It didn't , though An Oriental guy wowed everyone with his piano playing. He was very good- but he didn't sing. All he did was play the piano.  He did versions of Queen Bohemian Rhapsody and some other semi-Classical stuff like that. You know what folks? I can play Classical pia...

The Tin Pan. All the acts were tremendous and 13 of them. I think the yodeling put me over the top!    Credit: David Pearson Photography

Live from the Tin Pan in Richmond, Virginia (Photos by Dave Pearson Richmond, VA)                                                                                      

I have always enjoyed yodeling. Like most everyone else, I was self taught. I started listening to German yodelers such as Franzl Lang, but naturally picked it up also by listening to Country and Western infused songs by Hank Williams Sr. Cowboy/Country yodeling is slightly different than German and Swiss and Austrian yodel, but not remarkably. They are more similar in most ways, although there is more tempo changes in Germanic yodeling than in cowboy style. Cowboy yodeling or in Country Music, has more sustained falsetto and not quite as much shift between the chest and head voice. Many of Hank Sr's yodel songs include "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" and, of course "Lovesick Blues". Two of my favorites. When I lived on the farm as a teenager , I used to yodel inside the old Silo in the barn. I used to yodel to my horses as well. They never yodeled back. But it was a neat way to get them inside when it was time to feed them. So basically I started yodeling in my mi...

Every August we have the Watermelon Festival, and each year its packed with thousands of people, and each year its usually the hottest day of the summer . I have performed many years there , but I never seem to get any watermelon! This year it  was a very humid 97 degrees (with a heat index of 110), but luckily we had some shade. I played this year with the band, as we have performed there in the past few years as well. It was a good turn out. I remember the first time I played the Watermelon Festival. It was back in 2000, and I was 21 years old. I was right nervous, and had a lot of bathroom issues that day. I didn't want to be in large crowds, but I felt it would be neat to gain new fans by exposing myself! Back in those days, I had a little digital Yamaha keyboard that was basically like playing chop sticks. I didn't have as much experience performing. Even though I did some plays in high school. I was nervous that first year , and I remember throwing up all that morning i...

This past weekend was right busy! Friday, July 1st, I performed at the Fredericksburg Center For The Creative  Arts Gallery on Sophia Street. Since there was limited space, and a storm was brewing, I had to perform inside the entry room.  I had to sing as softly as possible, but Bessie and I were able to give a fairly good sample of our best known hits including "Sweet Tea" and "Clean Livin". The atmosphere was inspiring, and the many talented artists who's work filled the spaces of the gallery were appreciative! The acoustics were marvelous and I certainly didn't need any microphone.  I had to stay overnight at the Hyatt Place near Mary Washington College  and went to the George Rowe Family Reunion the following day. It was a very uplifting experience. Many people were there, and discussed was the illustrious  history of the Rowe family in the city of Fredericksburg and its environs, as well as ancestral connections to the Patawomeck  Indian Tribe of...

I have many fine dates coming up this Summer! I hope Y'all can come out and see me some time soon. There is a lot of  good times to be had in the fun and sun. I don't like to swim in the ocean (fear of sharks), but put me on a stage in a coffee shop near the beach and I'll be fine. Here are some dates where you can catch me soon.                                                    Meade at the Virginia Beach. Saturday, June 25th Ashland Farmer's Market Singing with the Meadow Street Band. Lots 'o fun Intersection of  101 Thompson St. Ashland, VA 9 am - 12 noon Friday, July 1st Fredericksburg First Fridays Fredericksburg Center for the Arts 813 Sophia St Fredericksburg, VA I'll be in the garden patio playing some tunes...

                              MEADE    SKELTON                             A lot of folks ask me where I get the name "Meade Skelton".   They ask me "Are you related to Red Skelton?" Is that your real name? "Meade Skelton sounds like a  made up hipster name to me" , Etc. Well, no, I am no kin to Red. But yes its my real name!  Meade, of course is my first name, and Skelton is actually my middle name, but since I have a short first and last name, I decided to use my middle name for my stage name moniker. It just had a nicer ring to it. They come from my mother's side of the family.  Both Meade and Skelton are family names. Skelton is my grandmother's maiden name. My gr...

My Coffee Shop Country is officially released! The CD format was the most cost efficient this type around, but its still got 10 really nice and nifty songs inspired by yours truly. I hope Y'all will enjoy this one. You can order from me direct by going to my website and using the contact page. From there i take Paypal and can ship it to your address- autographed and all! CDs are just 12$ which includes shipping. Thanks and God Bless!

Me and Bessie!

Working and revamping, I finally kind of got it all together, and it sounds okay, if I do say so myself! Coffee Shop Country is now available as a full length 10 song digital album. I later plan to release it on a physical format such as vinyl and/or cassette tape. But I wanted to slowly let the public digest and savor some of these new tunes and get to know more about it. The title track was inspired by music critic Ned Hepburn- whom a few years ago- deemed my style "Coffee Shop Country" music. And it kinda stuck. And it fits so well. Knowing that ideally, I can merge from Countrypolitan flair to church music and then go lounge, it seems the coffee shop venues I fit in with the most. Its that ambiance of nobody is listening, yet everyone in the world listening at the same time. This creates an inner peace as I say in my song "I drift off to dream whenever I play in a shopping mall or the corner cafe". Its true. Because I feel at peace and inspired by singing...