Darin & Brooke Aldridge

North Carolina natives Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Having crafted one of today’s finest acoustic acts since forming in 2006, their talent has never been more apparent than with the release of their latest album, FLYING. The duo draws on the traditions of their native North Carolina, the savvy of a young, gifted band and their owndedication to ingenuity to create the most mature release of their career. If nothing else, the chance to hear Brooke Aldridge, truly one of the singular female voices in music, is an opportunity you don’t want to miss.The duo has placed at the Top of the Charts on Americana roots, Bluegrass and Gospel charts, and have received multiple nominations from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music (SPGBMA) andand the Inspirational Country Music (ICM). Without doubt, this pair is making its mark in Acousticana Music Their unique sound is based on a blending of the rich musical traditions of their North Carolina mountain heritage with the more modern, polished musical sounds of the foothills region where they now make their home. Darin Aldridge began playing music in public at age six and was quickly recognized as a prodigy. He has spent 20 years as a professional musician playing in bands such as Acoustic Syndicate (a cutting edge group playing jazz, blues, and folk rock) and the legendary Country Gentlemen (Darin was with the Gent’s for seven years until band leader Charlie Waller’s sad passing). Two of the three albums Darin recorded with the Country Gentlemen won national music awards. Brooke Justice Aldridge has a powerful voice that projects the innocence of her mountain origins and the deep faith that forms her core. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Appalachian State University and currently teaches pre-school when she isn’t touring. At the core of her music lies belief – belief in her faith, her life partner, and the force of her own voice. All who hear her sing are astounded at her sure tone and remarkable strength. Brooke grew up in Avery County, NC just a few miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Her voice carries the lilt of the mountains along with the sophisticated sounds of a singer with experience way beyond her years. Despite winning many competitions, Brooke never really knew how much she loved to sing until she became a teenager. Success in countless competitions led her to venture out beyond home and in 2004 she finished in the top three at the regionals of the Nashville Star competition. Brooke is a dynamic singer with a powerful yet pleasing vocal range capable of bringing an audience to their feet with a hard driving tune or mesmerizing it with a soulful ballad. Married just five years, the couple has surrounded themselves with an outstanding band composed of talented multi-instrumentalists who can bring their original music compositions to life. Fiddler Becky Buller also plays banjo and guitar and is a prolific songwriter who wrote the title song for a Grammy nominated album. An excellent singer, Becky adds melodic harmony to the group’s vocals as well as bringing her great original songs. Talented upright bass player Dwayne Anderson was the first student to be awarded a full scholarship in the Bluegrass and Old Time Music program at East Tennessee State University. Tyler Collins, who plays banjo and guitar in the band, is also a resonator guitar champion in the state of Tennessee who, like Buller and Anderson before him, has chosen to attend East Tennessee State. Colin Willis, from Chesnee, SC is the band’s outstanding resonator guitar player and also plays the pedal steel guitar. Percussionist Jodie Call, from Wilkesboro, NC, has played with several country, rock and Americana bands and his steady beat and ability to mesh with the other band members makes him a most valuable addition to the Darin and Brooke Aldridge band. Sound engineer John Holder may be out of the audience’s sight but his deft mixing and fine tuning makes makes certain that what comes out of the sound system is a true representation of the bands talent and skill. The band has released five albums since 2009 and all have received high praise from reviewers and have achieved commercial success. In 2011 and again in 2012 they began the year with a song at the top of the charts and it looks as if their newest release, Flying, may also be featured on multiple charts. The band was thrilled this year to be asked to play for the Grand Ole Opry’s 88th Birthday Celebration in Nashville. The invitation was especially poignant because Opryland is where Darin proposed marriage to Brooke. The couple makes their home in Cherryville, NC where Darin was named “Citizen of the Year” in 2010 and the couple was honored as “Grand Marshall’s” of the town's 2013 Christmas Parade.

Cherryville, NC