The Beginning of A Remarkable Career
Leona Williams was destined to become a Country Music Entertainer.
She landed her first radio show at the age of 15. The program
"Leona Sings" in Jefferson City, Missouri, was the beginning of a
lifetime of entertaining people. That journey would take her all
over the world and allow her to sing before thousand and thousand of
Country Music fans all over the world.
Leona moved to Nashville from a small town in Missouri called Vienna
in the 1960’s. With a lot of hard work, she was soon recording for
several major record labels including Hickory Records, RCA,
Polygram and MCA with such hits as “Once More” “Yes Ma'am, He Found
Me In A Honky Tonk” “Country Girl With Hot Pants On” and
“Broadminded.” Leona was also traveling worldwide and opening shows
for some of country music's top entertainers and making personal
appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
Leona played upright bass and sang harmony for Loretta Lynn. During
this time, she and Lynn became close friends and traveled throughout
the country with each other. Loretta recorded Leona's composition
"Get What You Got and Go."
Leona later teamed up with Merle Haggard for a top ten duet called
“The Bull and the Beaver” and a duet album followed called HEART TO
HEART. Leona and Merle married in 1978. During this time, she would
write some of Merle’s biggest hits including “You Take Me For
Granted” and “Someday When Things Are Good.” You can hear her
harmony vocals on some of Merle's hits such as “The Way I Am” “The
Roots Of My Raising” and “Big City.” Merle and Leona were divorced
in 1984.
Leona married songwriter Dave Kirby and moved back to Vienna,
Missouri. She continued to work the road and released three
successful independent projects on her own Loveshine label. Leona
made frequent guest appearances on Nashville Now and various other
syndicated Country Music programs. She also headlined a daily
Country Music show at the Texas Troubadour Theater in Nashville with
Johnny Russell.
In 1999, Country Music legend Jean Shepard persuaded Leona to become
part of the “Grand Ladies of Country Music” show at the 76 Music
Mall Theater in Branson. Leona worked three years on this show and
then moved to the Jim Stafford Theater as part of “Us Girls.” She
then headlined the “Fall Creek Opry Show” in Branson, while still
being a constant draw in concerts across the nation. She even
worked with "The Rajun Cajun" Doug Kershaw in Branson in the 2004
season.
Leona also headlined a very successful tour of Ireland, playing to
some of the most receptive audiences of her career in October of
2004. She received six encores on her last night in Ireland with
fans lining up for over an hour to meet and get her autograph.
During the last few years, Leona has enjoyed recording duets with
several in the Country Music industry including George Jones, Jimmy
Martin, Floyd Tillman, Justin Trevino, Johnny Bush and Joe Paul
Nichols among others.
Leona, a Missouri native, was inducted into the Country Music
Association of Texas Hall of Fame in 1999. She was also honored
with the prestigious George D. Hay Award in 2002. She was most
recently inducted into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame.
Leona's songs have been recorded by many artists including
Tammy Wynette, Randy Travis, Moe Bandy, Ray Price, Loretta
Lynn, Johnny Bush, George Jones, Forester Sisters, Connie
Smith and Merle Haggard.
Leona signed with Heart of Texas Records in 2004, and began
preparing her first new album in nearly a decade.
“I always wanted to go to Texas and record an album with a lot
of the real Texas Country Music sound,” Leona said. “I
wanted an album with lots of steel guitar and great fiddle.
This is the sound that I wanted to capture and I truly believe
that is what we did.”
“Leona Williams-Honorary Texan” is the first all new Leona country
album in over ten years. The project, recorded at Justin Trevino
studio in San Marcos, incorporates Leona’s powerful voice with some
of the best musicians in Texas including Bobby Flores on fiddle, Ron
Huckabee on keyboard, Dave Kirby on guitar, Dickie Overby on steel,
Justin Trevino on bass, Smiley Reynolds on drums and Levi Mullen on
rhythm guitar.
The fourteen songs on the project include three standards from
Leona’s career including “Yes Mam, He Found Me In A Honky Tonk”
“Goodbyes Come Hard For Me” and “You’d Be Home By Now.”
“Honorary Texan” is highlighted by six songs unrecorded until this
project including “Dance Till The Cows Come Home” “Don’t Leave The
Leaving Up to Me” “I’ve Called To Say I Love You (One More Time)”
“Don’t Sing Me No Songs About Texas” “Things I Almost Had With You”
and “I Walked From Dallas.”
“I actually wrote “Don’t Sing Me No Songs About Texas” in the late
1970’s,” Leona said. “I had written several songs about Texas.
Ernest Tubb was looking for some songs to record for a new album.
Ernest sent word to me to send him some songs. He said ‘tell Leona
to send me some songs, but tell her not to send me no songs about
Texas.’ I thought that was a great idea for a song!”
Leona added five of her favorite Country Music standards including
“Arms of A Fool” “I Never Go Around Mirrors” “Memories To Burn”
“Nobody’s Darlin But Mine” and “Misery.”
“We are so honored that Leona was willing to record this album on
Heart of Texas Records,” label president Tracy Pitcox said. “We
have been overwhelmed with the positive response with the project
from disc jockeys and record reviewers throughout the country. The
album is definitely not the “cookie cutter” country album that is
being mass produced from Nashville studios. This project has
tremendous depth and feeling.”
Heart of Texas Records also reissued Leona's album "San Quentin's
First Lady" in 2005. This project recorded live at San Quentin
State Prison on January 1, 1976, features Leona performing ten songs
with Merle Haggard's Strangers live before a prison audience.
"San Quentin's First Lady" was the very first album ever recorded by
a lady inside a prison. It is also the first time this project was
made available on compact disc.
Leona went back into the studio in February 2005, to begin work on a
new studio album. It was also recorded at Justin Trevino's studio
in San Marcos, Texas. Heart of Texas released "I Love You Because"
in 2005, and it has received rave reviews. The album features nine
songs that Leona wrote or co-wrote and Country Music entertainer
Junior Brown even played guitar on the project.
Leona's greatest treasures are her family. She is especially proud
of her daughter Cathy Lee and her sons Ron and Brady Williams.
Cathy works in a Hendersonville bank and still sings harmony with
her mother from time to time. Ron is living in Nashville and
pursuing a full time career as a Country Music entertainer. Brady
is a very successful finance manager for a large auto company in
Ozark, Missouri.

Whether in a recording studio, dance or concert hall or on stage at
the Grand Ole Opry, Leona Williams always gives her very best to her
fans and her music. She definitely presents a special class to the
world of Country Music.

Ron Williams was born in Nashville Tennessee and was exposed to Country Music from a very early age. His parents Leona and Ron Williams Sr. were both in the music business when Ron was born ,and as he puts it “ I was so immersed in music, all around me really, that I knew I would “step in it” somewhere”, he says jokingly. Both parents toured all of Ron’s young life with artists from Ernest Tubb to Loretta Lynn. “ I’ve even seen pictures of me when I was a child, sleeping in a guitar case next to the stage” he states, and some say that is where he began his road to becoming one of the music industries premier traditional country music singers. When you listen to his music, you’ll understand why he is regarded as one of the best new country talents by both music critics and industry professionals. Years of hard work, being employed as a staff songwriter to singing hundreds of demos have started to pay off. Ron has performed on shows featuring other recording artists such as Gene Watson, Marty Stewart, Mel Tillis, Travis Tritt, Vern Gosdin, Mandy Barnett, Sammy Kershaw, Clinton Gregory, Lori Morgan, Mandy Barnett and many others. “It’s been my greatest honor to work with legends of the Grand Ole Opry” states Ron, such as Ferlin Husky, Charlie Louvin, Margo Smith, Jean Shepard, Stonewall Jackson, Barbara Fairchild, Billie Walker, Jan Howard, Jett Williams, Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, Pretty Miss Norma Jean, Claude Gray, Jeannie Sealy, Wanda Jackson, Freddie Hart, Bill Anderson and more. “They are the heart and soul of country music and we should value them as such” he states.

Ron’s latest project is one he is very proud of. “It’s full of great songs from writers like Bill Anderson, Becky Hobbs, Dave Lyndsey, Harley Allen, Larry Schell and others. I've got to say, this CD is my favorite one to date." Ron currently resides in central Missouri with his wife Amy and daughters Lexie and Olivia.

Born and raised in Maine, Bob at an early age became interested in Country Music. In 1956, he appeared on a local radio show on WRKD in Rockland, Maine.
After a few guest shows, he started his own radio show that lasted more than ten years.

In 1958, Bob joined the Curly O’Brien T.V. show on WLBZ, T.V. in Bangor and also on WMTW T.V. in Poland Springs, Maine. There he accumulated more than fifteen hundred hours of live television.

While in the service, he formed his own band in El Paso, Texas and did much club work in Texas and New Mexico while there for eighteen months. After returning home from the service, Bob settled in the Portland, Maine area and in 1965 established the Road Ranger Band which is still together today. During this time he also did live television on WGAN-TV. It was also during this time he had the pleasure to open for Hank Williams Jr, at the Portland Hall in 1966.

Bob has appeared in Texas, New Mexico, Indiana, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire as well as in Maine. Throughout his career, Bob has worked over four thousand stage appearances at clubs, stage shows, fairs and private parties.

Bob has played in Nashville and also did some recording there. He also did a live show in the Maine country network, during which he interviewed Webb Pierce, Bill Phillips, Ira Allen and Christy Lane as well as other Nashville musicians and producers.

Bob also does some song writing such as Mind Over Wine, Stop Sign on This Heart of Mine and Raising Hell in Tennessee.

Bob also hosted many Country Award Shows.

Bob now resides in Clinton, Maine with his wife, the former Marlene Carpenter, the female vocalist of his band.

Country music always has and always will be a large part of his life.

Pard and Lisa met at one of their performances in 1988 at the Bangor Auditorium in Bangor, Maine. Lisa had been in country music since the age of 8 and has had several bands through the years and worked with many local legends such as Danny Harper, Curly O'Brien, Jackie King, Doc Morrill, Dick Curless, Yodeling Slim Clark and lots of other wonderful Maine talent., Lisa has also worked with a few Nashville recording artists such as Margo Smith, Rex Allen Jr., Steve Wariner, Johnny Russell, and Johnny Rodriguez to name a few.
Pard had the opportunity to be on stage with Dick Curless, other artists and also played music with his family and friends. Pard met Lisa and they fell in love and since then have been playing and sharing some beautiful country music together. Together, they moved to Nashville, got married, and lived in and around the Nashville area for several years and performed at live radio shows, campgrounds, local clubs and private parties.
In the summer of 1992 while living in Tennessee they listened to radio station Nashville 95 which played old country songs on Sunday mornings. Pard was enroute in his vehicle to get a coffee and then to work and heard Johnny Cash’s "One Piece At A Time" being played which gave him an idea.for a country song. He hurried to his shop and in a few minutes had written a song called, "The Legend And Me".
Shortly thereafter, Lisa got in touch with Johnny Cash and he wanted to hear it, so we sent him a copy. As soon as he received it he got back in touch with us saying he liked it and wanted to do something with it. But as fate would have it, the very next day Johnny Cash was hospitalized and his illness kept him there for several weeks. He also had weeks of recovery at home and I didn't want to bother him.
After Mr. Cash passed away Pard had to change a line in the song slightly from "the man and the legend still lives on" to "the legend of the man still lives on", and as the song says at the end, "and that’s why I had to write this all down in a song".
In 1993 they were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Katie L. Higgins and she has been singing with them nearly ever since. She too, carries a deep love for music in her heart. Last year at the Acadia Music Festival in Southwest Harbor The Danny Harper Band had the priviledge of backing up Johnny Tillotson and along with everyone else in the Band 14 year old Katie Higgins did an amazing job of backup vocals for Mr. Tillotson.
Lisa, Pard and Katie (The Higgins Family) formerly of The Danny Harper Show, benefits with Yodeling Wade Dow & Friends, The Mainely Country Band and The Maine Country Living Legends Show. They also do some benefits on their own as well.

The Higgins Family has a great love for playing and performing good ol’ traditional country music and have recently released a CD with many of their favorite traditional country songs.

Band Bio: The Mainely Country Band is a professional, four-piece country/country rock band with over 60 years of experience in the musical entertainment business. Offering a variety of music for all age groups, the band provides you with quality crowd-pleasing entertainment. All seasoned musicians, the members of The Mainely Country Band blend their differing musical backgrounds to form a unique and solid sound. Jeff, Lee, Pat and Sonny have a great time playing music together, which shows in their energetic performance.

Jeff Simon
Lead vocalist, harmony vocalist & lead guitar
started performing at the early age of 10, along with his sister, Jolene, on a local television show which was televised weekly from WEMT-TV Channel 7 (now WVII-TV) studios in Bangor, Maine. He and his sister, Jolene, performed regularly on “Frankensteins’s Country Jamboree”, which in later years became “Stacey’s Country Jamboree”. While being featured performers on Stacey’s Country Jamboree, Jeff and Jolene made frequent appearances throughout Canada with the cast of the TV show. Jeff’s dad was also a part of the musical talent on Stacey*s Country Jamboree. Jeff and his sister also made occasional appearances on The Curly O'Brien Show.
During his latter years of high school, Jeff's interest in music influenced him to start his own band, The Mainely Country Band. In 1979, Jeff recorded his first album, "Journey Through The Country", with liner notes written by Maine's own, Dick Curless. Later, in 1988, Jeff recorded another album with Bob Fillion, titled "From Us To You", which won first place honors in 1989 by one of Maine's premier country music organizations, The Down East Country Music Association In 1992, Jeff and his band were the house band for several tapings of The National Country Music Jamboree, taped in Ellsworth and Cherryfield, Maine and was televised weekly throughout North America via satellite.
Jeff, along with the band, has received numerous awards throughout the years from the Down East Country Music Association, Maine Country Music Association, Pine Tree State Country Music Association and the Tennessee based international country music organization, North America Country Music Associations International.
Lee Mallory
Lead vocalist, harmony vocalist & drums has been playing music for about forty years. Throughout his musical career, Lee has played various styles of music, from rock to jazz, disco and country rock, and even a bit of rap and hard rock. Lee's musical interests started when he was a young boy. His father was a singer for a local radio program, which also featured some of Lee's uncles.
Some of the highlights of Lee's career include some jam sessions with The Doobie Brothers and Chubby Checker. He has also performed with other artists in the music field.
In 1971, Lee composed a song for a contest in "Song Writer's Magazine", in which he received an Honorable Mention Award for his songwriting talents.
In 1972, Lee formed a band called, "Coyote", which had stayed together for 22 years. He travelled extensively throughout the State of Maine performing at various clubs and venues.
Although drums are his main instrument, Lee can also play bass guitar, guitar, and various other instruments. Lee can still be seen performing across the State, and he still knocks 'em dead.
Sonny Bickford
Lead vocalist & pedal steel guitar started his musical career in 1953 playing the clarinet and in 1956 became interested in the guitar. He borrowed a friend's acoustic guitar, and with the help of Clyde and Edie Miller, he taught himself to play. He ultimately played lead and rhythm guitar in a local trio playing contemporary and rock and roll music. In 1965, he expanded his musical knowledge and took lessons and began playing tenor saxophone with the band. In addition, he also found himself playing bass guitar and drums occasionally.
In 1973, he changed directions and tranferred his talents into country music. He continued to play lead and rhythm guitar while trying his hand at pedal steel guitar. In 1985, an accident to his left hand rendered him unable to continue with guitar and he devoted his energies to the pedal steel guitar which allowed him to continue playing music.
From 1965 thru 1995, Sonny played with various working bands in the Bangor area. While playing with Buckshot, the band won the northern New England Dodge Wrangler Country Music competition and traveled to Nashville,Tennessee to perform for the next level of the competition. In November of 2000, Sonny joined The Maine-ly Country Band winning more awards in Maine competitions and competing in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee as well. Sonny also joins other steel guitarists to perform at various steel guitar shows held in various regions of Maine.
Sonny is a member of the Maine Country Music Association, The Pine Tree Country Music Association and Maine Academy of Country Music. Last year Sonny was inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.
Patrick Cote
 Lead vocalist, harmony vocalist & bass guitar started playing music at the young age of 10 years old. He can remember his first guitar lesson, taught by his older brother, Wil Cote on acoustic guitar. This began his love of music. Patrick has been involved in music all his life, playing various instruments in several bands.
In August of 2006, Patrick joined The Mainely Country Band, playing bass guitar and lending his vocals for solos and backup harmony

The Misty Mountaineers are a Maine based bluegrass band. 2010 will mark the 35th year since the band was formed. The one remaining original member is, Wilf Clark. He is the son of legendary cowboy singer Yodeling Slim Clark. He is a self taught mandolin player, and lead vocalist. Bobby Earl Davis of the Earl Brothers Band called him a soulful singer.

Over the years the group has had a number of personnel and style changes and has evolved into a very traditional hard driving bluegrass band.
Dotty Farrell, a former Miss Downeast Country Music and Bass Player of the Year Winner anchors the group on acoustic Bass. She is a sought after musician often working as a fill in for many groups on shows and recordings. She has performed with The Larry Gillis band when they perform in the New England area.

Jay Smith a talented college student is fast becoming a force on the fiddle. Turning heads wherever he performs!
Bernie Staples plays a solid rhythm on his “Santa Cruz” guitar, and also sings lead and harmony.

Suzie Gibson a veteran performer formerly of Shady Creek, the Adam Dewey Band, and Sassy Grass drives the 5, with her Scruggs style for the Mountaineers. She got a call from Wilf Clark the week she moved to Maine and joined the band 6 yrs ago.
The group is known for long jam sessions and it’s willingness to include others. They have also worked with younger players, helping them learn the music.
They have twice played the main stage at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, (winner of the IBMA Event of the Year in 2006) and received a standing ovation, both times.
They have hosted a number of touring acts to Maine, including Danny Paisley and Southern Grass, James King, and the Earl Brothers.
The group has captured the title of Bluegrass Band of the Year in all of Maine’s country music associations including the MACM, DECMA, most recently, the 2009 Maine Country Music Association BG Band of the Year. As well as several individual and recording awards.
They are a member of the St. Albans Ole Tyme Jamboree in Maine.

The band plays in New England and Eastern Canada.

What happens when a rock drummer, a country singer and a military man all become Pastors and start to sing?…..Heavenly tunes with an awesome beat! They call themselves “Heaven’s Blend and they really do, quite well! Their fans are affectionately known as “Blenders”.
Known throughout the state of Maine, they have played as far away as Texas and Louisiana. (Hey after all, this is southern gospel) part comedy, part music and all ministry, these three men take their music and their ministries very serious.
Through their lively music, they share the Love of God and sing about His care for people in every situation. With a unique talent, they disarm the audience as they touch hearts and minds with hope, encouragement and thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness and goodness. Many times, they report, people are touched to the core and ministered to in unique areas of need that no one but God and the person knew anything about. Supernatural healing occurs as God touches hearts in a unique and personal way.
Prior to heaven’s Blend, they have been singing gospel music for several years as soloists and in many other groups. The trio came together as a quintet five years ago, and for the last three years a trio.
Heaven’s Blend is a group comprised of three ordained ministers.
Tom Rawley has been senior pastor of the Waldoboro Word Of Life Church for over 20 years and has been involved in the country music with groups such as Crystal Creek and The Country Wranglers. The Country Wranglers were, for years, the one of the top groups in the area, winning many awards.
Gary Leet, senior pastor of the Lisbon Free Baptist Church, has been involved with music for several years. In his early years, he played drums with local rock-n-roll groups. During his ministerial, he had a very well known solo career. He has now been with Heaven’s Blend since it’s beginning in 2000. Pastor Gary is also legally blind but sees more than most people miss.
William “Tim” Connelly is one of the two leaders of the Waldoboro Word of Life Church. He joined Heaven’s Blend in 2004. His background in music spans several years as a music director and a song leader. He anchors down the lead vocals for the group as well as the master of ceremonies.
With their own distinct style of Southern Gospel and a lot of laughter, Heaven’s Blend will make your afternoon fulfilling and enjoyable. Bring a couple of friends and they will surely thank you for it.