Americana Music Series

As part of the Fallbrook Americana Music Series, The Cherryholmes will be in concert Thursday, January 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts. The center is located on the Fallbrook Union High School campus at 2234 South Stage Coach Lane.

The Cherryholmes appeared in concert early last year to a full house. “We turned about 100 people away last year,” said John Maus, one of the organizers. Maus said that the group agreed to return because they enjoyed performing in Fallbrook. “They said that they felt connected with the audience,” Maus noted.

Last year actress Jamie Lee Curtis and her husband, Christopher Guest, attended the concert. The actress called Maus last year to tell him how much she and her husband enjoyed the concert.

The Cherryholmes group is a Grammy-nominated family band consisting of father Jere on bass; mother Sandy Lee on mandolin and banjo; daughter Cia Lee, 22, on banjo; son B.J., 18, on fiddle; son Skip, 16, on guitar and mandolin; and daughter Molly Kate, 14, on fiddle. “All four kids are incredible ‘pickers,’” Sandy said proudly.

The band was chosen “Entertainer of the Year” in 2005 by the International Bluegrass Music Association. They have garnered other awards as well and have appeared on several televisions shows, including “Grand Ole Opry.”

The family, originally from the Los Angeles suburb of Bell, began singing as a way to draw closer to one another after the death of Jere and Sandy’s 20-year-old daughter Shelly in 1999. “We are a Bible-believing Christian family,” said Sandy, “and we felt that it was put together by God.”

“We started off with church songs and some bluegrass,” explained Sandy. After the group’s first performance at Calvary Chapel Downey they started getting calls to play at different venues.

The family made the decision to sell their home in Bell and move to a secluded area of Arizona where they owned property. The Cherryholmes lived in trailers where they had to haul in water and live with no electricity. “We thought the experience would help us to understand the heart of the music,” said Sandy. “It worked… the loneliness and seclusion got to us.”

The Cherryholmes now have a fast-paced schedule and are on the road about 300 days out of the year, but the family is happy about working together.

The Fallbrook Americana Music Series – started about eight years ago by Phee Sherline and Pat Sica, who are still involved with the group – was formed to help bring music groups to Fallbrook for the benefit of the community.

“We take enough for the expenses and then give the rest to the artists,” explained Maus, an additional founding member of the organization. “The artists play because they know that it is a gift to the community.” Maus organizes the bluegrass concerts because he “loves bluegrass music.” The group sponsors approximately 10 concerts a year.

Tickets are available at the door and at Major Market. For ticket prices and further information please call John Maus at (760) 723-2563 or Phee Sherline at (760) 723-7255.