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Ring the Bell

Of The Gibson Brother's ninth release, Ring the Bell Both brothers talk about the “feel” of the album. Ring The Bell makes me think of being young and growing up in our small farming community in NY,” explains Leigh. “It evokes memories of fellowship with t... more

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ABOUT THE GIBSON BROTHERS

Eric and Leigh Gibson grew up on a dairy farm outside of Ellenburg Depot, New York in the shadow of the Adirondack Mountains. It isn't the typical beginning for a bluegrass band but sometimes things just come together. "My parents loved music but they didn't play," says Eric. "My father, I think always wanted to play but he worked like mad from the time he was 9 years old. He was a dairy farmer. He'd go to an auction and come back with a fiddle or they ordered a guitar and a banjo through the Sears Roebuck Catalog so we had instruments around the house but nobody knew how to play them. When I was 12 and Leigh was 11, we came home from school and dad said 'there's a guy giving lessons at Dick's Country Store and I'd like one of you to play the banjo and one to play the guitar." Eric chose banjo and Leigh, guitar, and the die was cast.

The brothers took lessons on their instruments and began singing at the suggestion of their minister. "We progressed at the same rate," remembers Eric. "We grew up listening to the same people and seemed to agree about what type of songs we wanted to play and our direction. We never really argued about that. If I like a song Leigh will like it too."

They caught the Bluegrass bug after their teacher introduced them to the music of Flat and Scruggs. But still they never intended to actually make it as musicians. "I was just as much into baseball, if not more so, than music," Eric laughs. "I either wanted to pitch at Yankee Stadium or play at the Grand Ole' Opry and I've gotten to do one of those. I always had monster dreams. But each year we get more and more serious about music."

By the time they were in their early 20's, the brothers couldn't deny the lure of the requests that were coming in for them to play shows and festivals. At the same time, Eric was having problems balancing his career as a schoolteacher with his drive to play music and so he took a leave of absence from teaching. "It was hard decision," he says. "You take the safety net out from under you. We couldn't have accomplished what we've done if we hadn't gone into it full boar. To be a good teacher, it has to be your passion but music is my passion. I always felt pulled by the music. I felt like I had to make a choice."

By this time, the brothers had a few albums out on the Hay Holler label. Eric took a leave of absence from teaching and, in 1998 the brothers won the 1998 IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year award. In 2003, the brothers released Bona Fide, which went to #1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited album chart and placed high on the Americana and Billboard charts. Two more releases followed -- Long Way Back Home and Red Letter Day. The Gibson Brother's ninth release, Ring the Bell is now set for release on Compass Records. '