Barry Cloyd: “Where Have All the Flowers Gone, the Ballad of Pete Seeger" at the Moline Public Library -- July 14.
Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 p.m.
Moline Public Library, 3210 41st Street, Moline IL
His repertoire boasting such classic tunes as “If I Had A Hammer," “Turn, Turn, Turn," “The Sinking of the Reuben James," and the iconic song of the title, gifted area singer/songwriter/storyteller Barry Cloyd brings his solo performance Where Have All the Flowers Gone, the Ballad of Pete Seeger to the Moline Public Library on July 14, an event guaranteed to get the audience singing along to some of America's best loved folk songs.
Folk-music fans aall remember Pete Seeger, the long, lanky troubadour playing his long neck, five string banjo and leading the world in some of our favorite folk songs. But while Seeger may no longer be here on Earth, his spirit, his commitment to a better world, and most importantly, his great songs are still alive and with us. Where Have All the Flowers Gone, the Ballad of Pete Seeger is touring performer Cloyd's newest, the work having been commissioned by The Sun Foundation of Central Illinois. In the hour-long event, library visitors get to ride along in the boxcars alongside the folk artist's pal and mentor Woody Guthrie, learn what it's like to hitch hike across this great country with only a banjo and a song as your companion, and get to know how Pete Seeger earned his place in musical history.
As stated at BarryCloydProductionc.com, the artist is a Midwestern based, touring singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, performing over 200 shows per year, who has spent a lifetime creating a performance style that weaves the genres of blues, folk, Celtic, and roots music into a unique blend all his own. A strong vocalist and multi-instrumentalist as well as a storyteller, theatrical performer, and historian, Cloyd delivers his music on a multitude of guitars (6 & 12 string, Dobro, high-strung, etc.) and other stringed instruments, such as 5-string banjo, mandolin, requinto and bouzouki. Honored by Chicago’s Millennium Park with inclusion as part of their series “Great Performers of Illinois," Cloyd is also a member of the Illinois Arts Council ArtsTour Roster.
"His first CD release The Wind and the Water features all original music and some of Nashville's finest session musicians including members of Amy Grant’s, Stephen Stills’ and EmmyLou Harris’ bands. The follow-up CDs are After the Storm, a Celtic/Americana piece, Yuletide Fire, an acoustic Christmas CD, The Rainmaker’s Garden, featuring 12 original songs, and the latest all-original Spirit Dance, with 11 of Cloyd's newer songs. He tours primarily as a solo artist, but also associates with a fine group of musicians who can accompany him in various formats. Cloyd fronts a duo called Clones and a band named Celtricity, which has appeared as a three piece, four piece or five piece group, depending on the requirements of the venue. Celtricity is jam band/fusion group that weaves together the genres of folk, Celtic, blues, roots, world, and Cloyd's original music.
"Barry has co-written, produced and toured more than 20 original folk musicals, written more than 350 songs, and has appeared in over 300 TV commercials and 70 industrial films, some of which have been shown internationally. He is also a regular guest on radio and television programs wherever he travels. In addition, he has performed/toured in Ireland, England, Wales, Mexico, the Caribbean and much of the U.S. and is a co-founder, with Brian “Fox” Ellis, of Prairie Folklore Theatre. PFT is a touring theatre company which creates and produces original musical theatre based on the history of the Prairie and Great Lakes States. Prairie Folklore Theatre has also produced CDs of four of its original shows, Prairie Fire, A Prairie Christmas, River Ghosts, and Civil War Ghosts & Legends."
Barry Cloyd's Where Have All the Flowers Gone, the Ballad of Pete Seeger will be performed in the library's gardens on July 14, participation in the 6:30 p.m. program is free, and more information is available by calling (309)524-2470 and visiting MolineLibrary.com.
