Eddie and Bonnie Bond – A native of Grayson County, Virginia, Eddie Bond has been performing old-time music since he was a child. Growing up with music on both sides of his family, he was steeped in the musical traditions of the Blue Ridge at an early age. All four of his great-grandfathers were old-time musicians, and three of his four grandparents. Eddie stayed with his grandmother Widner who taught him to play guitar starting at age eight. Great Uncle Leon (Grannie’s brother) was a huge influence for him, taking him to visit many local musicians to learn from, and jam with during his developmental years. Eddie is now one of the region’s most respected old-time fiddlers, and he has won first place on fiddle, banjo, and autoharp at the Galax Old-Time Fiddlers Convention. While serving in the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Bond found himself in the company of other pickers who were homesick for the mountains just as he was. In Saudi Arabia he met (and became instant friends with) Jim Greer from Whitetop Mountain, Virginia, located in the same county Bond was from. The two played music along with Paul Bowling of Kentucky in a band called the All American Bluegrass Band. After serving for seven years in the military he returned home and right away he formed a band called Old Time Tradition. For the next seven years Bond and his band played for fiddler’s conventions, square dances, and other social gatherings in the area. Since 2001, he has been the fiddler and lead singer for the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, one of Virginia’s best-known old-time string bands. The band has performed at the Smithsonian Folk-life Festival, the National Folk Festival, The Austin String-band Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Montana Folk Festival, The Great Lakes Folk Festival, the Berkeley Old Time Music Festival, and the Gainsborough (England) Old-Time Festival, and he has carried his music to Ireland, Scotland, France, and Australia. He has been named the Best All-Around Performer twice at the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. Bond also enjoys sharing the stories of his youth with his audience, bringing a little bit of the Appalachian Mountains with him wherever he goes. In 2018 Bond received the highest honor the United States government bestows on a folk artist, the National Heritage Fellowship.

Bonnie Bond plays double bass with her husband in the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters. Bonnie grew up in Fries as well, and the two grew up singing together in church. Bonnie has fond memories of her aunt Betty, who, with her two sisters, would often sing songs as they worked together. She learned to play piano at an early age and often performed at church. Since her marriage to Eddie, she has branched out with her repertoire to include mountain ballads and songs of the Appalachian Mountains.