The Pea Pickin’ Hearts love participating in the Hoot in the Hollar each year.  There is nothing quite like singing your heart out in the middle of a horse pasture in Bulls Gap.  Come on out and enjoy free music all day, today Saturday, June 8th.

Spend a little money on food or make a donation because all the proceeds go to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation!  Click here for directions.

The tent is ready, and here you can see just a hint of the new stage renovation!

See you there!

WELL,

We are always a little amused to say the Pea Pickin’ Hearts are “taking a little time off.”  Those of you that know us know that we never really take time off.  Our projects are endless, but in April and May, we are cutting back our shows in preparation for a very busy Summer.

So, don’t miss your opportunity to see us in April.  We will be performing at Crystelle Creek Grill & Restaurant (1654 East Parkway in Gatlinburg) on Tuesday, April 23rd from 6pm until…  The dinner specials are great, and well, the non-special dinners are great too, ha.

On Saturday, April 27th, we will be performing at the Cliff Dwellers Gallery (668 Glades Rd in Gatlinburg) for their Annual Spring Gathering from 1 to 3 p.m.  You can enjoy artist demonstrations and a little live music.  Don’t miss it.

See you soon!

FAIR TRADE

We were on the road to Atlanta recently when… we heard Jim Davis from the Sevier County Food Ministries on MIXX 105.5FM remind folks that people need food at other times than just Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As a family, we often donate canned goods at local theaters and attractions during Sevier County week in trade for admission, but if your home isn’t touched by hunger, it can be easy to forget the need of those in your community during the Spring & Summer.

The Barn at Chestnut Springs, a premier Gatlinburg Wedding venue, and the Pea Pickin’ Hearts have teamed up to try to help restock the shelves at Sevier County Food Ministry.  We’ll give you a MoonPie® and a RC Cola® and a night of entertainment if you help us out…

On Saturday, March 23rd from 6 to 9pm,
you’re invited to the
1st Annual Barn Pickin’
at The Barn at Chestnut Springs
featuring a RC Cola® & MoonPie® Reception
with live entertainment by the
Pea Pickin’ Hearts.

Here’s your chance to get a look inside that beautiful barn that you might not otherwise get to see unless you’re invited to a wedding there.  You get to hear a little live music by the Pea Pickin’ Hearts, AND help restock the shelves at the Sevier Co. Food Ministry.  Admission is free with a donation of non-perishable food or a small monetary donation.

Note:  The Sevier Co. Food Ministry is thrilled to get either cans or cash; however, they really can buy more food at wholesale than you can retail…so consider a small cash donation.

100% of proceeds  go to
Sevier Co. Food Ministry.

Sevier County Food Ministry helps assure that no one in Sevier County goes hungry.  They welcome everyone and do not turn anyone away who has a genuine need.  Each family may return once a week during the time they need help.  The Sevier County Food Ministry also maintains a hospitality table where neighbors can sit and chat and enjoy refreshments.

For more information, contact Rachel Gibson at thepeas@peapickinhearts.com or Melanie Lee at thebarn.cns@charter.net.  Click here to download a print quality Barn Pickin’ Poster.

Need directions?

The Barn at Chestnut Springs is located off Birds Creek Road behind BDS.
The address for your GPS is 1984 Chestnut Springs Way, Sevierville, TN 37876.

We can’t wait to see your smiling faces…
and canned goods!

BUCKING

There is a new instrument headed the Pea Pickin’ Hearts’ way.  A vintage 1950s-era Dixie banjo ukulele or “banjolele”.  Jon & I have been debating what to buy, but I fell in love with the Dixie model.  I appreciate the simple tuning of the ukulele, but I wanted the volume of a banjo.  So…

A banjolele it is.

Banjo ukuleles parallel banjo construction, on a smaller scale, in terms of overall construction.  They are always fretted.  Most are built of wood with metal accoutrements, although the mid-century “Dixie” brand featured banjoleles made from solid metal.

Mine is solid cast aluminum.  Unconventional construction for an unconventional girl.  I can’t help it. It needs a lot of work, but with a little effort, I’m hoping it will look like the restored one pictured at left.  And for those that would shun a non-wooden banjolele, I’ll just go ahead and let you know… I have chosen to use titanium strings over gut, Nylgut, or nylon strings.  Yep.  I wanted a brighter sound and less maintenance.  So there.

I’m so excited for it to arrive.  I’m hoping it will make stage appearances by late Summer.

Stay tuned!

TENNESSEE

Most of you realize that we owe our name, Pea Pickin’ Hearts, to the Original Ol’ Pea-Picker, Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Ernie’s famous line,
“Bless your pea-pickin’ heart!”
has become a
permanent part of our hearts…

…and of Pea Pickin’ Hearts’ performances.

Ernie passed away in October of 1991, but we would rather celebrate the anniversary of his birth, February 13th.  Much like my mother who has a birthday on Valentine’s Day, Ernie’s special day often gets overlooked.

As a thank you, for all of you pea pickers that have stuck with us over the years, enjoy a Ernie’s duet with Kay Starr.  This is how we open every show:  http://youtu.be/h3UB7YSxCX4 .

NEW PLACE

Come on out tonight, Tuesday, February 12th starting at 6pm to hear the Pea Pickin’ Hearts at Crystelle Creek on East Parkway in Gatlinburg!

We’ve dusted off a few old songs and learned a handful on new ones, including a few originals, just for tonight.

Come on out rain or shine!

Enjoy great food,  local discounts & great entertainment at Crystelle Creek.

We’ll see you there!

WE CAN’T
WAIT

…to see the look on the kids’ faces this afternoon at the Boys & Girls Club.

Starting at the end of 2012, Jon and I began working with the 8 year old and up kids at the Gatlinburg Boys & Girls Club teaching lyric writing as a part of the Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival Out of the Mouths of Babes Lyric Writing Contest.  This is the second year of the program.

The purpose of the program is to encourage confidence
through creativity in children.

This is attempted by having them write lyrics for songs and then pairing songwriters with those lyrics to bring it all together.  I spent a lot of one on one time with the kids, and I enjoyed every minute.  The younger children met the task head on with enthusiasm, while the older kids met the challenge with more caution resulting in some more thoughtful, and sometimes humorous, results.

Tonight we get to hear the result of the kids’ lyrics paired with the songwriters’ arrangements and music.  We are proud to be amongst the songwriters that get to perform, and we could be happier.

WINTER

We love cold weather, roaring fireplaces, snow and hot chocolate as much as the next family.  However, the Pea Pickin’ Hearts have NEVER wanted so much to believe in a groundhog’s vision before this year.  We heard he didn’t see his shadow, so we’re hoping for an early Spring.

We’ve decided to start the 2013 season off with a bang and an upcoming show–regardless of the weather.

Come see the
Pea Pickin’ Hearts
at Crystelle Creek
on Tuesday, February 12th
from 6pm until!

Celebrate St. Valentine’s Day a little early with great dinner specials and LIVE entertainment.  Afterall, Peas are good for you!

Booking for the season is in full swing with new announcements coming soon–including new venues, new instruments and more.  Be sure to tune in for details, but in the meantime, check out the dates we’ve already posted!

Have a Happy February!

LONG LIVE

Elvis would have been 78 today.  When he died in 1977, I (Rachel) was 5 years old.  I was in my great aunt Maggie B’s convertible dodge dart (complete with leopard print seat covers) as we pulled into the 7-Eleven station for a gallon of milk or some other miscellaneous thing.  The nose of the car stopped just a couple of feet short of the newspaper box carrying a huge red headline, “The King is Dead.”

My aunt Maggie slumped over the steering wheel and sobbed with grief for this man she didn’t know.  Unknowingly, I learned a valuable lesson that day–the power music holds in everyone’s life.  Maybe “All Shook Up” doesn’t do it for you, but there is a person or a song out there that conjures meaning for you.

In honor of Elvis’ birthday, reach out to a local musician and let them know how much their music means to you.

OPEN ARMS

We want to take a moment to say thank you to WDVX for having the Pea Pickin’ Hearts on the Blue Plate Special on Monday, December 17th!  We had a great time singing and playing and enjoyed meeting Chosen Road.

And, if you invite us to return with our upcoming project, we’ll try not to bring the rain with us next time.

With the New Year approaching, we’re getting a little restless for change.  So, we have some new adventures ahead including changing up our sound a little, adding an instrument or two and playing in some new territory.

Stay Tuned and Happy Holidays everyone!