Editor’s note: Todd Mickey submitted this article.
The 149th Whiteside County Fair is only three months away. We are all set with an impressive lineup of entertainment, starting on Tuesday, August 13, through Saturday, August 17, 2019. Wednesday night’s main event will be “Rockland Road” at 7:00 p.m. They entertained us last year as “Martin Family Circus,” and everyone loved them!
“Rockland Road” is many things. It is a street near Nashville. It is a studio where countless hit records have been recorded. It is a crossroads where country, gospel, pop, R&B, and Americana music has thrived for years. It is a self-contained, vocal-driven, melodic band, with a heritage as rich and authentic as its namesake. Six members, all sharing the last name Martin, represent four generations of musical heritage. All vocalists play 23 instruments between them. “Rockland Road” is a powerhouse of soulful vocals blended with a pure, exuberant joy, worthy of the literal and figurative blood that flows through their veins, making them a family.
Fueled by a mutual passion for many genres and longing for a fun, family-friendly musical experience for their kids, Paul and Jamie Martin began singing together in 2010 with their four children: March, Kell, Texas, and Tallant. Quickly realizing that the kids all showed an uncanny knack for hearing harmonies as well as for playing instruments, they began performing shows together.
“Our house has always been like a live jukebox, with an all-you-can-play selection of musical instruments,” says Jamie. “Music completely engulfs our lives, so our kids have never known a day without it. And that’s just how they want it.”
“We are a real family, at home or on the road, and we knew there would be an unpredictable nature to working with our kids. But they were just filled with passion, truly breathing through the music we were creating,” says Paul. “It’s a given that we’re proud of them as parents, but, very quickly, we found ourselves appreciating the musical talent and the vocal skills that they contribute as fellow performers, not just as our kids. There was no other choice; we knew we had to do this with them.”
So where did it all begin? Grammy-winning artist Paul Martin, lead singer/guitarist of country-pop supergroup “Exile,” met and married Jamie Allen, daughter of Duane Allen of Country Music Hall of Fame members “The Oak Ridge Boys.” Individually and collectively, they were exposed early to a rich musical existence. Paul and Jamie watched as each child demonstrated God-given musical talents early on. Regional performances began to boom, leading to appearances on National television shows like “The Huckabee Show;” The Oak Ridge Boys’ American Legion Christmas special; “The Marty Stuart Show;” “Country’s Family Reunion;” “Gaither Homecoming;” Larry’s Country Diner.”
They have taken their stage show across the Country to venues as varied as the U. S. Library of Congress, the Country Music Cruise, the Grand Ole Opry, the White House, and countless fairs, festivals, and performing arts centers. They performed the National Anthem for many major NBA, MLB, and NCAA sporting events, including the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Cleveland Cavaliers. After a rousing performance of Elvira to a packed house for The Oak Ridge Boys’ 2015 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Billboard Magazine heralded them as “singing to the rafters,” getting a crowd of seasoned performers and music industry folks to their feet.!
The[ Martin family sees] every night spent onstage not just as a time to spread the simple joy they get from music. It is not just another chance to share their songs and story. Every night is a blessed opportunity to take a new audience for a musical ride, down the curving country back roads, the high-speed super highways, and the crowded city streets that have all converged to create the music known as “Rockland Road.”
Thank you for supporting the Whiteside County Fair. Without your continued patronage, our fair could not remain as we have enjoyed over the years. We appreciate your ongoing support to keep our fair going strong, so we can continue on with this important part of our County’s heritage for years to come.
The fair opens on Tuesday, August 13, and completes after five amazing days on Saturday, August 17. You won’t want to miss it! The 149th annual fair is held at the fairgrounds in Morrison, IL.
Check out our website for more information: www.whitesidecountyfair.org or Facebook @whitesidecountyfair.