Betsy Ashton Publicity Director Smith Mountain Arts Council [email protected] 540.297.3585

SMAC Announces Concert Featuring Tom Rush on March 22

Smith Mountain Arts Council (SMAC) is pleased to announce that musician and guitarist Tom Rush will perform on Friday, March 22, from 7pm to 9pm at Trinity Ecumenical Parish, 40 Lakemount Rd, Moneta.

Tom Rush has a distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice that has made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. “His shows are filled with the laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues,” says Mike DeGiorgi, chairman of SMAC’s Special Events Committee.

Rush’s musical career began in the early ‘60s in clubs in the Boston area when he was a student at Harvard. He helped shape the folk revival at the time. He worked with many of the great performers from the ‘60s through the ‘90s, including who says "Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences."

Rush’s influence spans musical genres, including country. Garth Brooks has credited him with being one of his top five musical influences. He introduced , and James Taylor to the world through his work at Club 47 in Boston. Throughout his career he performed with various artists including Bonnie Raitt and .

DeGiorgi says, “SMAC is lucky to have Tom Rush agree to perform. His is the first of several concerts of great classic musicians, which include Frank Vignola and Roy Book Binder.”

Tickets for the concert are available at Radio Shack and the SML Visitors Center. You may also call Marty Bowers at 540.297.0965 or Mike DeGiorgi at 540.719.0686. Tickets are $17 for SMAC members, $20 for non-members.

##

For additional information, please contact Betsy Ashton, SMAC PR Director, at 540.297.3585 or [email protected].

About Smith Mountain Arts Council. Smith Mountain Arts Council’s mission is to serve as a coordination body for the performing and visual arts in and around the Smith Mountain Lake area by providing opportunities for individuals and groups to participate in the area and for individuals to be exposed to the various forms of arts for their cultural pleasure and enhancement. In addition Smith Mountain Arts Council works to secure resources and community support for the promotion of the arts. The Council has more than 250 members.

###

Betsy Ashton Publicity Director Smith Mountain Arts Council [email protected] 540.297.3585