5 acts for 1 cause: farm flood relief
by |October 1, 2025 | Newsroom, Press Release
You won’t want to miss this evening of nationally-known legends and local favorites, all to support the Resilient Farmer Fund’s anniversary of Helene goal.
From bluegrass, to songwriters, old time, rock and americana country, this concert is a curated mix of artists who love and support Hurricane relief and local family farms in East TN.
Tickets on sale at www.paramountbristol.org
The Paramount Bristol has sponsored this event and is donating a portion of their costs!
Sponsors
Sponsor the Resilient Farmer Fund!
100% helps family farms in East TN recover from Hurricane Helene and rebuild stronger. You can also choose to have a portion cover ARCD’s costs so that we can leverage more funds and make our efforts go farther.
Sponsors will be recognized in news media, socials (5,000+ reach), and at the Nov 15th concert, and during the awards period–a campaign period of several months to an audience that loves what makes our region special!
Call Emily at 423-722-8708 or email emily@arcd.org.
artist bios
Cruz Contreras and The Black Lillies
Raised between the rugged lines of Tennessee and the long shadows of Michigan, Contreras has spent nearly thirty years forging his path as multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, bandleader, producer, and storyteller. First with Robinella and the CCstringband, then as the fire at the heart of The Black Lillies, Cruz helped forge songs that topped the Billboard and Americana charts, picked up Independent Music Awards, and earned him a nomination from the Americana Music Association as an emerging artist. Now touring behind his debut solo album Cosmico, Cruz is joined once more by a band of road-tested companions under the name Cruz Contreras and The Black Lillies. https://www.cruzcontreras.com
Scott Miller
Recently inducted to the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame, fiery roots-rock singer-songwriter Scott Miller farms full time on his native Virginia’s family cattle farm while continuing to release and perform new music informed by rural Appalachia. His songwriting combines the emotional honesty and intelligence of a singer/songwriter with the swagger and enthusiasm of a rock & roller. A founding member of Knoxville based band, the V-Roys, Miller’s raucous style influenced the newer generation of Alt-Country revelry and what’s now known as Americana.
Linda Lay with Wayne Henderson
Linda Clayman Lay is one of the most respected voices in bluegrass music. Growing up on the periphery of Bristol, her father, mandolinist Jack Clayman, formed a family band with Linda and her brothers and sisters, taking them to the places where the local musicians gathered, jammed, and performed. For more than 30 years, she has sung professionally, leading numerous bands, including Appalachian Trail, taking bluegrass music into new directions. Today, she performs regularly with her husband David. In addition to performing together, Linda and David are full time produce farmers in Hawkins County, TN. They are joined by Wayne Henderson, internationally acclaimed luthier and musician. He is known for his fine-toned steel-string guitars, mandolins, and banjos, which are sought after by legendary musicians. Henderson also performs with a distinctive finger-picking style. He has won more than 300 ribbons at fiddlers’ convention competitions. He was featured as part of the Masters of the Steel Guitar tours, and has traveled internationally.
Paper Wings
Long-time friends and collaborators Emily Mann and Wila Frank, known together as Paper Wings, dream up warm, pastoral folk songs suited to wandering through a forest or field, quiet contemplation, and long winding journeys. Furnished with delicate banjo and spellbinding harmonies so close you often can’t tell their voices apart, Frank & Mann deliver dynamic performances emboldened by the strength of their sincere songwriting. They developed their craft by studying and performing with folk legends such as Alice Gerrard, Laurie Lewis, Tim O’Brien, Steve Earle, Aoife O’Donovan and Sarah Jarosz among others. It was during this time that they began writing and touring together, eventually making their way to Nashville where they recorded their debut album in 2017.
Songwriter “Love For Land” Contest Finalists:
Jeff Benedict
Camden Benoit
Alaina Majkrzak
Jeff Benedict was raised in a farming community in western NC, but has lived in East TNfor the last 30 years. His songs almost always relate in some way to the elements that surround us–earth, water, wind, the sky, fire–as they tell stories about the triumphs and tragedies we all experience through life. With his band My New Favorites, Jeff sings and plays banjo and guitar regularly throughout the region.
Camden Benoit a folk singer from Abingdon, VA, now living in Johnson City, TN. He is the winner of the 2025 “Love For the Land” songwriters competition. Music has shaped much of Benoit’s life and socialization, taking music lessons and writing music since a young age.
Alaina Majkrzak is studying bluegrass, old-time and roots music at East Tennessee State University, learning to root music in tradition while being shaped by new influences. As an emerging voice in folk music, she writes songs that connect her inner emotional world to the outer world with natural imagery.