One day in September, 1999, on the front porch of a house on Dark Hollow Road in East Tennessee, with a bucket and two sticks from the front yard, Gene Beffre sat down and banged out a beat as Randall Kent Wilkerson played and sang his songs. Dark Hollow Band evolved from that simple moment. In 2000, John Gillespie came along and sweetened the sound with his flute and squeezebox. Later that same year the inimitable Rod Erwin brought his ingeniously subtle, yet powerful bass into the mix. Next came Dave Patterson who would expand and warp the sound with his screaming electric guitar. One by one, as if by design, each member would appear and bring their own unique fingerprint to the mix. At one point they had up to eleven band members! The end result would be an eclectic mix of everything from gospel to folk to blues to country to screamin’ rock n’ roll.

PART 2

For six years Randall and the band played every kind of venue they could book, including radio broadcasts, festivals, bars, private parties, weddings, numerous benefits, and even funerals. In 2006 Rod Erwin left the band and Gary Coleman, a multi-instrumentalist from Oak Ridge, TN, took over duties as bassist for more than a year. Dave Patterson left the band early in 2007 and Eddie King joined the band for a while, being instrumental in the formation of the 2009 CD, “Real Monsters Look Like Men.” While practicing at Eddie’s, Randall met Jamey Oran, a bassist who played for 12 years with Tommy Santelli, a local and regional performer of some note. Randall was looking for a different sound for the new CD when he met Tom Bates and Chris Voorhees while jamming with friends in Oak Ridge. After hearing Tom’s easy-going style on the dobro mixing with the smooooth guitar licks of Voorhees, Randall knew he had found what he needed for the new CD.

Their fans call it “Folk & Roll.” Whatever you call it — Dark Hollow Band is — soulful ballads, stirring melodies, and a truly unique sound that must be experienced to be appreciated!