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More Details on the Greystone Ramblers
The Greystone Ramblers were formed at the Greystone Manor home of Albert Hoopes in the Winter of 1985 in West Chester Pennsylvania.The goal was to play for the Old Fiddlers Picnic in Hibernia Park. At that time the band consisted of Al Hoopes on harmonica, Terry McGrath on harmonica/jug and Jaw harp, Blair Holl on fiddle, David Hoopes (Al's son) on Guitar, Bill Bowes on Autoharp, Steve Founds on Guitar and vocals, Steve Filaroma played Bass and Joe Konschnik on Banjo.After a spot in Angela Park in Hazelton, they played their first Hibernia Park in August 1986. This is where they picked up the house of Davis (Jon on Mandolin and Marguerite on Whistles and percussion.) After Joe left the band in the Fall of 1987, Fred Frayer joined the band at Banjo. Then Steve Filaroma left to play reggae.
The remaining eight piece band played for seven years at such places as Turks Head Music
Festival, Spring Gulch Folk Festival ,Tall Cedars, The Carriage Event of Goshen, Girl Scout Hoe downs at Camp Tweedale, Rotary Club events, Retirement homes, and yearly at Hibernia ,(since 1987) the 4th of July Marple Newtown Parade and since 1995 the Old Fashoined Christmas
Festival at Founders Bank on the first Friday evening in December.
The band lost it's home and founder on Saint Patrick's Day, 1995, when Al Hoopes passed away. The Ramblers performed that afternoon for the first time without their leader. The Hoopes Family soon moved from Greystone Manor; David lost his feel for the music, and left the band. While still playing at the 4th of July Parade and Hibernia the band stopped playing weekly and other members drifted away...Bill went off to Florida, Blair moved to South Carolina and Steve Founds formed a rock and roll band (Roadshow).. Leaving Jon, Marguerite, Fred and Terry without a backbeat, until September 1996, when Richard Gordon joined the band as Guitar/Bass player/vocalist (fresh from the "Plywood Cattle Company"). Soon after our southern friend Bill returned, and under Richards tutalege began playing the bass. At this time the band began performing at the Coffee House at Dover and the Friends of Folk festival in Delaware.
The band began recording in March of 2000, with the hopes of leaving a legacy of music for their friends and children. During this time, Richard's duties as a single father began to leave him less and less time to practice, and Andy Andrews joined the Ramblers to help fill the void, with his frailing banjo rhythm and vocal style (Andy was also a member of Plywood as well as a Bala Hound member).
The Greystone Ramblers are a Family band. All the members have different backgrounds and occupations, but the music that they play reflects that feeling ... different yet together. No song is too outlandish to try...or too traditional to play.
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