Arts & Entertainment
EDDIE OWEN PRESENTS AT THE RCT - John Driskell Hopkins (of Zac Brown Band) w/ Balsam Range
John Driskell Hopkins has walked the musical path for the last 20 years. As a bass player, guitar player, singer and songwriter for several bands of the rock variety, Hopkins rooted himself in the Atlanta, GA music scene in 1995, producing records and touring with his band Brighter Shade.
Hopkins met Zac Brown in 1998 at an open mic hosted by Hopkins. Over the next several years, they remained friends and with Hopkins lending a production hand, they released the first Zac Brown record, “Home Grown,” in 2004. Hopkins became a founding member of the Zac Brown Band in 2005 and has enjoyed engineering and songwriting credits on hit songs such as “Toes,” “It’s Not OK,” and “Sic Em On A Chicken,” from the multi-platinum selling record “The Foundation,” and “Nothing,” “I Play The Road,” and “Settle Me Down,” from the current platinum selling record, “You Get What You Give.”
As the ZBB continues to garner critical and public success through Grammy, CMA, and ACM Awards, Hopkins continues to share the spotlight on stage with his band of fellow songwriters and friends.
When off the road, Hopkins works in his home studio on the occasional ZBB collaboration, production for other (ZBB-label) Southern Ground artists, and songwriting and recording with a growing crop of regional talent; he often shares these tracks with Bug Music Nashville, whom he’s partnered with in an administrative deal since early 2011. You can catch 7 episodes of Hopkins’ ongoing Podcast entitled “Under The Influence with John Driskell Hopkins” on iTunes. And when he has downtime on the road, you can try to catch him as he takes his Harley out for a tour of the city du jour.
Joining John is a group of five outstanding acoustic musicians and singers from Haywood County, North Carolina, Balsam Range. From deep in the Appalachians where the Great Smoky Mountains meet the Blue Ridge comes the Balsam Range band, creatively blending Bluegrass, Folk, Gospel and Jazz into a new American acoustic music experience.
To encapsulate, Tim Surrett delivers entertaining MC work as well as seasoned lead and harmony singing. Tim also plays bass most of the time, and he will occasionally move his talents to the resonator guitar. His presentations are spontaneous, polished and professional. Buddy Melton is one of the most gifted tenor voices in bluegrass and Americana today. His range and tones largely give Balsam Range its identifying sound, and his stellar fiddle playing supports the band’s programs equally. Caleb Smith has been called “one of the top young guns of guitar.” His envied unique guitar style pairs perfectly with his energetic power singing. Caleb also delivers ballads with a perfectly toned, believable tenderness. Darren Nicholson is one of the most gifted mandolins players and harmony singers ever to come from the Southern Mountains. Darren’s studied, energetic performances rival those of the classic old guard performers, and his enthusiasm for American heritage music styles has no bounds. Marc Pruett plays traditional three finger banjo in intuitive and powerful ways that blend and compliment the influences in the band of jazz and bluegrass…country and gospel…and swing and old-time. Marc adds a credible entertainment experience of over 40 years to this fresh, unique Southern band.
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