Grammy award nominee headlining Pete Cline Tribute Night Thursday at Levitt

Published 2:22 pm Tuesday, September 10, 2019

The ninth week of the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series promises to be one you don’t want to miss. Gena Britt, banjo player for Sister Said, encourages the community to come out.

“It will be fun,” she said. “I promise everyone will have a good time.”

The Grammy award nominee Sister Sadie has been together since 2012.

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“We’re made up of five women who travel the country and play bluegrass,” Britt said. “This has been a fairly big year for us. We were nominated for a Grammy, we debuted at the Grand Ole Opry, and we’ve been nominated for a couple of bluegrass awards that are coming up.”

The awards Britt is referring to are the International Bluegrass Music Association.

“We’ve been nominated for Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year,” she explained. “It’s coming up in a couple of weeks.”

Sister Sadie is made up of Dale Ann Bradley on guitar and vocals, Tina Adair on mandolin, Gena Britt on banjo, Deanie Richardson on fiddle and Hasee Ciaccio on bass.

“Us as a band, we’ve been together six years, but we’ve seen lot of humbling things this year. We’re looking forward to coming to Middlesboro,” Britt said. “We’re really looking forward to being there, meeting new people and sharing our music.”

Sister Sadie will take the Levitt Stage at 7:30 p.m. following the opening act, Emily Miller.

According to Middlesboro Main Street, Miller is a multi-talented country singer/songwriter. Her dynamic voice and guitar have entertained audiences in several states. Her unique style and artistic ability as well as her active engagement of the audience allow everyone to feel connected with her easygoing personality, smile and quick wit.

Together, Sister Sadie and Emily Miller make up Pete Cline Tribute Night.

Jacob Perry “Pete” Cline, III passed away on April 25 but leaves behind a legacy that is being recognized and honor this Thursday night.

He was devoted to his seat as a Levitt Concert Series Board Member, and he particularly believed in Middlesboro’s potential and contributed to its growth in any way he could — always involving himself in community development. He played a large part in establishing the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series and designing the Sister Sadie with Emily Rogers’s event that is now paying tribute to his memory.

Cline enjoyed retirement by spending most of his time in nature, biking and hiking alongside his partner, Donna Kaye Smith. When he wasn’t outdoors or relentlessly practicing law part-time, you could find him picking guitar and honing his vocal skills, rehearsing for the post-retirement revival of his bluegrass band, Back Porch Grass.

The band played at several venues in the area, although they took the stage most regularly at the Pineapple Tea Room in Cumberland Gap, Tenn. for their standing performance slot every Thursday night.

Pete’s greatest legacy is his children and grandchildren. Fatherhood was his life’s ambition, and he considered his family to be his greatest accomplishment.

The same band that launched his musicianship in the ‘80s and later reinvigorated his passion for bluegrass plays for us to celebrate his memory during An Evening with Sister Sadie this Sept. 12.

The Cline Family would like to send their appreciation to Middlesboro and the Levitt Foundation for choosing such a special concert to remember their dad, who loved being involved in the Levitt Concert Series and the Middlesboro community at large. “It’s a beautiful day in the ‘Boro.”

Food vendors will be set up to serve food on the blocked off area of Cumberland Avenue beginning at 6 p.m.

New this year, a local artist, such as sketch, photography, painter, etc., will be featured each week with their works of art being displayed.

This season, the Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series includes an impressive lineup of artists who will perform each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. from July 18 to September 19.

The last performance will be Mike Farris & the Fortunate Few on Sept. 19.