By B.J. Drye, Managing Editor
Sunday, February 7, 2010 — A Stanly County resident has received an award for the work he does in Montgomery County.
Oakboro’s Jeff Branch recently received the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce’s Artist of the Year award.
“I was honored to receive the award,” Branch said.
“Montgomery County has been good to me.”
He has been good to Montgomery as well, bringing nationally known musical acts and, in turn, tourists to the county.
After years of promoting events at Oakboro Music Hall, Branch took his shows to the James Garner Center in Troy in 2008.
Besides bringing in bluegrass acts such as The Grascals, Cherryholmes and others, Branch, performing as Howard Sprague, joins fellow Mayberry tribute artists and The Dillards each August for Mayberry Nights, a tribute to “The Andy Griffith Show.”
This annual event benefits Montgomery County D.A.R.E., a program that teaches sixth-grade students the hazards of drug use and ways to say no to drugs.
He also has an agreement with West Montgomery Lion’s Club, which works the concession stand at many events and receives the profits from it.
At 7 p.m. March 27, the Garner Center will host Jeff and Sheri Easter, gospel singers who have appeared on the Bill Gaither Homecoming tour on many occasions.
Goldwing Express, The Lewis Tradition and Doyle Lawson are also scheduled to perform in Troy this year.
Branch also continues to promote the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival, which will be June 11-12 at Big Lick Festival Park near Oakboro.
