The Old Settlers Association is excited to announce the musicians to be featured at this year's celebration. Wednesday evening after the Old Settlers Queen coronation, The Harman Family Bluegrass Band will open for rising Nashville star David Kroll on the Courthouse Stage. After the Big Parade on Thursday, American Idol season nine winner and Mount Prospect native Lee DeWyze will take the stage.
"Entertaining you is our goal and is as much fun for us as the music we play," says The Harman Family Bluegrass Band, a group out of Shipman, IL, that consists of first and second generation musicions with roots dating back to 1975. The Harmans musical style ranges from traditional to contemporary bluegrass, country, gospel and other various types of music. They have written and produced five CDs since 2004, the most recent being The Auctioneer. The album was released in 2011 and features vocalists Alison Krauss and Morgan Pitney. Mark, Jeff, and John have been playing professionally since their early childhoods, and Mike was a member of the Alison Krauss Union Station Band. During this time he performed at the Grand Ole' Opry and recorded on the Grammy nominated album Two Highways and the platinum seller Now That I've Found You - A Collection by Alison Krauss.
Following the Harmans, up-and-coming Nashville star David Kroll will take the stage. Inspired by an Alan Jackson concert, Kroll began learning guitar at age seven when Nashville was "just an interstate ride, and about a decade away." At age 15 Kroll formed a band and began playing at bars and fairs across Iowa and western Illinois, eventually opening shows for Eric Church, Chris Young, Montgomery Gentry, and others. In 2012, Kroll was awarded a position on The X-Factor (and a smile from Simon Cowell!) after an impromptu audition with his song "Little Soldiers" in front of Demi Lovato, Britney Spears, L.A. Reid, and Cowell. Producer Carson Chamberlain, who has worked with artists Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, and Mark Wills, began working with Kroll in 2014 and says Kroll's unique voice, great songwriting talent, and amazing live performances are bringing a fresh sound and perspective to country music.
After the Big Parade on Thursday evening, Mount Prospect, IL, native and American Idol season nine winner Lee DeWyze will perform for Hillsboro on the Courthouse Stage. Inspired by Eric Clapton, Cat Stevens, Ben Harper, and Simon & Garfunkel, DeWyze began performing at a very early age. By age 23 and prior to his debut on American Idol, he had already been featured on Chicago-area radio and television stations, released two independent albums, and recorded on a promotional CD for Square One Organic Baby Food Company. After becoming one of the 13 individuals from the Chicago auditions to make it through to Hollywood week, DeWyze won over the judges and the audience with covers of fan favorites including Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Since his coronation, DeWyze has performed the national anthem at the 2010 NBA Finals, headlined the 2010 American Idols Live! tour, performed at halftime during the 2011 NFC Championship Game. Most recently, on March 9th, 2014, DeWyze's song "Blackbird Song" was used in the AMC TV series The Walking Dead. It was the second most viral song on Spotify that week and debuted on Billboard's "Pop Digital Songs" chart at number 21.
"Entertaining you is our goal and is as much fun for us as the music we play," says The Harman Family Bluegrass Band, a group out of Shipman, IL, that consists of first and second generation musicions with roots dating back to 1975. The Harmans musical style ranges from traditional to contemporary bluegrass, country, gospel and other various types of music. They have written and produced five CDs since 2004, the most recent being The Auctioneer. The album was released in 2011 and features vocalists Alison Krauss and Morgan Pitney. Mark, Jeff, and John have been playing professionally since their early childhoods, and Mike was a member of the Alison Krauss Union Station Band. During this time he performed at the Grand Ole' Opry and recorded on the Grammy nominated album Two Highways and the platinum seller Now That I've Found You - A Collection by Alison Krauss.
Following the Harmans, up-and-coming Nashville star David Kroll will take the stage. Inspired by an Alan Jackson concert, Kroll began learning guitar at age seven when Nashville was "just an interstate ride, and about a decade away." At age 15 Kroll formed a band and began playing at bars and fairs across Iowa and western Illinois, eventually opening shows for Eric Church, Chris Young, Montgomery Gentry, and others. In 2012, Kroll was awarded a position on The X-Factor (and a smile from Simon Cowell!) after an impromptu audition with his song "Little Soldiers" in front of Demi Lovato, Britney Spears, L.A. Reid, and Cowell. Producer Carson Chamberlain, who has worked with artists Easton Corbin, Billy Currington, and Mark Wills, began working with Kroll in 2014 and says Kroll's unique voice, great songwriting talent, and amazing live performances are bringing a fresh sound and perspective to country music.
After the Big Parade on Thursday evening, Mount Prospect, IL, native and American Idol season nine winner Lee DeWyze will perform for Hillsboro on the Courthouse Stage. Inspired by Eric Clapton, Cat Stevens, Ben Harper, and Simon & Garfunkel, DeWyze began performing at a very early age. By age 23 and prior to his debut on American Idol, he had already been featured on Chicago-area radio and television stations, released two independent albums, and recorded on a promotional CD for Square One Organic Baby Food Company. After becoming one of the 13 individuals from the Chicago auditions to make it through to Hollywood week, DeWyze won over the judges and the audience with covers of fan favorites including Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Since his coronation, DeWyze has performed the national anthem at the 2010 NBA Finals, headlined the 2010 American Idols Live! tour, performed at halftime during the 2011 NFC Championship Game. Most recently, on March 9th, 2014, DeWyze's song "Blackbird Song" was used in the AMC TV series The Walking Dead. It was the second most viral song on Spotify that week and debuted on Billboard's "Pop Digital Songs" chart at number 21.
