Lisa Oliver Gray, Blind Ricky slated to play NIBROC 2016

Nashville recording artist Lisa Oliver Gray will be making her first appearance at Corbin’s NIBROC Festival this year.

In-demand, veteran Nashville vocalist Lisa Oliver Gray has signed on to play this year’s NIBROC Festival along with Country/Bluegrass six-piece Blind Ricky, who will be taking the main stage for the third time.

Gray, who has harmonized with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Lee Roy Parnell, Marshall Chapman, and others in the past 15 years will play the festival in support of her debut record “Dedicated to Love” described as a “triumphant celebration of life well-lived, a showcase for a very special voice only now getting it’s due, and a studio collaboration of some of the finest names in underground Americana Nashville.”

Gray was born and raised in Elizabethtown and got her start singing at home and in church. After years of cover gigs in Kentucky bars, she moved to Chicago to sing jazz, then to Nashville in 1989 to pursue her music career.

It will be Gray’s first time playing the NIBROC Festival and she will be the main entertainment Saturday, Aug. 13 beginning at 8:00 p.m.

“I think people will be really amazed by this lady’s voice,” said Bruce Carpenter, Executive Director of the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is the founder and organizer of the NIBROC Festival.

“Vocally, she often gets compared to Emmylou Harris which is an amazing compliment,” Carpenter said. “I think she’s a talented musician who will fit in very well with our festival. It should be a fitting way to end for 2016.”

On Friday, Aug. 12, NIBROC regulars Blind Ricky will take the main stage at about 8:00 p.m.

Blind Ricky will making their third appearance at NIBROC.

From various parts of southern and eastern Kentucky, members of Blind Ricky — Danny Barnes, Robin Barrett, Greg Combs, Kelly Caldwell, Randall Conn and Kristinn Joe Kirkpatrick — offer up a unique stylistic meld of Country and Bluegrass music that they promise is “not your grandpa’s Bluegrass.”

The group is making their third visit to Corbin for the NIBROC Festival.

“They music they are playing is excellent for a festival atmosphere,” Carpenter said. “We are glad to have them back.”

More information about them can be found online at www.blindricky.com.