THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 25, 1995 TAG: 9506230163
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON A. MILLS JR., CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
SPENT ANY SATURDAY nights in an auto body shop lately?
Johnny Knox, proprietor of Knox Automotive in Carrollton, invites you to do exactly that. And if you take him up on it, you may just have one of the best times you can remember.
On the second Saturday of each month, from 7 p.m. until the musicians get tired, Knox hosts a blue grass jam. This month, they got tired at 11 p.m.; sometimes, they go until midnight.
After the day's work is done, the service area is swept out, sound equipment and chairs are set up and the show begins. What follows are hours of pickin' and grinnin,' a lot of toe-tapping, some dancing and a lot of fun.
The garage takes on a new life with the pulsing strains of ``Someday We'll Meet Again,'' ``How Mountain Girls Can Love,'' ``One Day At A Time'' and ``I Saw The Light.''
If blue grass is your favorite, you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. Even if it isn't, you'll be surprised at how pleasantly entertaining it can be. If you need a good pick-me-up, this is it.
Billed as ``Good FREE Family Entertainment'' on fliers that Knox runs off to publicize his Jams, it is exactly that. Tables in the back offer hot dogs, at 25 cents; there's a soda machine by the office door, or you can bring your own cooler.
Best to bring a chair or two as well.
At June's jam, kids as young as two were there, as were teenagers, young adults and not-so-young adults.
Knox, a tall, trim man with silver hair, healthy tan and ingratiating smile, is originally from California. The Navy brought him to Hampton Roads. He's been in auto repair for 40 years. In business for himself since 1958, he started in Portsmouth; 15 years ago, he moved to his present location in Isle of Wight County.
He puts on the monthly jams because he's a blue grass fan. In the '60s, he played guitar in a band. He hasn't played in years, he says, but he's never stopped loving the music.
``Blue grass musicians were looking for a place to get together and pick,'' he said as Dixie Coast Blue Grass, the first band to play at June's jam, tuned up. ``Everything's free, everybody pitches in and helps out. The support is absolutely phenomenal.''
Wife Ann helps with the food and other things, such as keeping the shop's dogs outside and away from the musicians. ``I do it 'cause I love him,'' she said. ``He does it 'cause he loves the music.''
Evelyn White, an avid fan and grand dame of blue grass, was selling tickets for the door prize. The winner would take home half of the proceeds from the ticket sales; the rest would go to defray expenses. Bill Colgan of Isle of Wight Instrument Company was also there. Colgan donated a $25 gift certificate that was also raffled off.
When Steve and Terry Lang of Portsmouth came in, Knox walked over to greet them. Steve is a dentist, Knox's dentist.
``I've been to every one,'' Steve explained. ``Johnny Knox introduced me to blue grass. I really like it.'' Terry added, ``And I'm beginning to enjoy it.''
The band hadn't been playing long when Vicky Yakubik of Hampton got up and launched into a spirited blue grass two-step. She was soon joined by Patti Brown, also of Hampton. Others followed, dancing in makeshift aisles.
Musicians in the audience are invited to identify themselves so they can take a turn playing for the assembled group. Jackie Yates came to the June Jam and sat with her guitar in her lap. ``I reckon they're gonna let me play,'' she said as the evening got underway. They did. She later got up and performed a gospel number.
The evening usually features several bands, a pick-up band or two (of musicians who get together sometimes only minutes before to play as a group), and a couple of musicians from the audience.
At the height of the evening, one band with eight musicians (guitarists, bass player, fiddler, banjo player, and vocalist) was center stage in front of the sound equipment inside the shop, a pick-up band (including a bass fiddle, dobro, and mandolin) was jamming in the parking lot, and a third was jamming in the office.
A musical three-ring circus, featuring the likes of Harlan Baumgardner (who introduced Knox to blue grass over 30 years ago), Lloyd Minton (a musician for 45 years who used to play in a band with Knox), Garland Abbott III, Arthur O'Neil and Travis Holloway.
On the way home, my wife, Peg, and I discussed going back next month, just for the fun of it. The next day, at a picnic, we mentioned it to a writer friend. He asked us - twice - to call him before we go; he's pretty sure he and his wife would like to come, too. Later, we mentioned it to a neighbor. You guessed it; he and his wife want to join us as well.
None of us consider ourselves dyed-in-the-wool blue grass fans. But this much fun is hard to pass by.
As Johnny Knox says, ``Bring your coolers and lawn chair, grind your cigarette on the floor; we'll sweep it out afterwards.''
See you there. ILLUSTRATION: Photos by DAWSON MILLS
An unnamed pickup band ends the evening of bluegrass jamming at Knox
Automotive in Carrollton.
Vicky Yakubik and Patti Brown, both from Hampton, take to the
``dance floor'' for a little bluegrass two-step Saturday at the jam
session.
by CNB