Hillbilly Chic is an energetic and fun mix of Old Time, Bluegrass, and Country/Folk music. Banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, bass, and vocals combine to blend music of different genres into an honest, organic sound that is entertaining, exciting, and joyful. The band is inspired by musicians of grit and substance: think Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers meet Jim Morrison, or Flatt and Scruggs meet Townes Van Zandt. Appealing to audiences of all ages, the band has been described as “raucous”, “gritty”, “soulful” and “crazy fun”. Hillbilly Chic is quickly becoming one of the most popular bands in southern Ohio.
Our Story
Some Ross County boys who could not be caged
Built them a band as the pandemic raged
Experienced, talented, nothing to do
They masked up and practiced the whole winter through
When the dust finally settled in twenty and one
They set off to giggin’ and the people had fun!
“What is this music”, folks wondered aloud,
“That sets us to dancing and frenzies the crowd?”
In a spirit like horses released from a tether
It’s Old Time and Bluegrass blended together
With Bryan on mandolin, Barry on bass
And big old John Victor, harmonica ace
With banjos and fiddles and guitars a ringin’
Richard and Paul do the shoutin’ and singin’
Hillbilly Chic is the name of this band
Pickin’ and stompin’ they wander this land
Get ready for dancing, get ready for fun
Here come the Hillbillies, shot from a gun!
Richard Moore – guitar, vocals
Artistic passions have driven Richard to sing, play guitar and paint. For decades he has played acoustic sets at festivals and honky-tonks. His “whiskey voice” and love for Townes Van Zandt, Robert Earl Keen et al brings the unique sound of the great west Texas singer-songwriters to the band. Focusing on both art and music, we like to say that Richard is like the love child of Mick Jagger and Bob Ross. His artwork is exhibited in many shows and galleries across the region and can be seen on his website richardalanmoore.com
John Victor – harmonica
John’s harmonica playing was influenced by Sonny Terry, Mickey Raphael, and many great fiddle players. Interested in the backup positions of horns and keyboards, John enjoys the support he gives to groove and melody. In addition to playing in bluegrass and Americana bands over the years where he opened for the Steeldrivers, Junior Brown and Blue Highway, John is an avid kayaker, world traveler and hiker. This “wayward son of the Pleistocene” is also a great visual artist. He exhibits regionally and can be found online at johnkvictor.com
Bryan Joseph – mandolin
Bryan embraces all styles of music, from Folk and Old-Time to Celtic and Blues. He has studied with the great Hot Tuna mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff as well as Pete Huttlinger and Sierra Hull. We like to say that Bryan “puts the MAN in mandolin” and loves holding down the groove with his rock-solid chops. He also serves as president of the Foothills Folk Society and heads numerous other projects promoting acoustic music in the region.
Barry Barnes – bass
Music has always been a major force in the life of multi-instrumentalist Barry Barnes. Although he is accomplished on banjo, mandolin, guitar, dobro, and even piano, Barry has agreed to put it all aside and lock down the bass duties in the band. Although he plays a tiny little U- bass, we like to say he has a bigger bottom end than Kim Kardashian. Forever looking for a new challenge, he is currently learning to play the pedal steel. God help you, Barry!