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Kilby Spencer, a native of Whitetop, Virginia, founded the Crooked Road Ramblers in 2001. Immersed in old-time music from a young age, Kilby was profoundly influenced by his parents, Thornton and Emily Spencer, who revived the Whitetop Mountain Band in 1975. His musical journey was further shaped by the music and poetry of his cousin, Dean Sturgill, and recordings of his uncle, Albert Hash.

Kilby is renowned for his powerful, regional, and rhythmic fiddling, having won numerous blue ribbons at contests across North Carolina and Virginia. Since his father’s passing in 2017, Kilby has been the full-time fiddler for the Whitetop Mountain Band, while also leading the Crooked Road Ramblers. His dedication to preserving local music traditions is evident through his extensive collection of recordings and his role on the board of the Field Recorders Collective since 2007. The FRC has released over 130 projects, focusing on American roots music.

Kilby has shared his expertise by teaching old-time fiddle at Warren Wilson College’s Old-Time Week and the Ashe County Arts Council’s adult Appalachian Tunes program. He has also served as a judge at numerous fiddlers’ contests, including the prestigious Galax Old-Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers Convention.

His performances have graced notable venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the National Folk Festival, the North Carolina Folk Festival, and the historic Carter Family Fold. Kilby has contributed to compilations for various record labels and released seven full-length albums with the Crooked Road Ramblers, in addition to albums with Spencer Branch and the Whitetop Mountain Band.

Kelley Breiding is an accomplished and award-winning musician whose talents span clawhammer banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bass. She is a full-time member of the acclaimed old-time string band The Crooked Road Ramblers, and is also known for her work as host of The Floyd Radio Show and her own variety show, The Blue Ridge Opry. In addition, Kelley occasionally lends her voice to the NC Sacred Steel Legends, The Allen Boys.

A dedicated tradition bearer, Kelley has been teaching old-time fiddle and flatpicking guitar in the Ashe County Junior Appalachian Musicians program since 2017, helping to pass on the region’s rich musical heritage to the next generation.

Her contributions have earned her recognition as a traditional artist by both the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and the NC Arts Council Folklife Program. In 2023, the Music Maker Relief Foundation honored Kelley with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her impact on roots music.

Kelley has performed alongside legendary artists such as Jimmy C. Newman, Dr. Ralph Stanley, The Marshall Tucker Band, Peter Rowan, Jim Lauderdale, Dale Watson, Rose Sinclair, and Donna the Buffalo. Her music has graced prestigious stages and festivals including:

• The National Folk Festival
• The Kennedy Center
• Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
• Richmond Folk Festival
• Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
• Nimble Fingers Festival
• Northern Lights Festival
• GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance
• Blue Heron Festival
• Shakori Hills Festival
• Moniaive Bluegrass Festival
• Linlithgow Folk Festival
• Bele Chere, and many more.

 

John Perry is a guitarist and singer whose distinctive style brings a driving, individualistic sound to the band. A retired welder from Independence, Virginia, John grew up playing music with his brothers—Buck on banjo and Arnold on guitar—in their family band, The New River Ramblers. The group featured a rotating lineup of standout fiddlers, including Jerry Moretz, Thornton Spencer, and James Burris.

Throughout the 1970s and into the late 1980s, The New River Ramblers were regional favorites, known for their prize-winning performances and their popularity with dancers across the area. John’s powerful guitar playing and heartfelt vocals—marked by that unmistakable “high lonesome” sound—remain central to the band’s unique character.

Music runs deep in John’s roots. His father was a clawhammer banjo player and singer, passing down a rich musical tradition that John continues to carry forward as he approaches 60 years in the old-time music business.

The Crooked Road Ramblers are an old-time band from the Blue Ridge Mountains, steeped in the traditional music of the area. You can find them providing a mixture of instrumental dance music, old ballads, traditional country, and bluegrass at notable venues across the region like the Carter Family Fold, the Albert Hash Memorial Festival, and local dance halls.