Wiley Dew’s performances have been called "thirst quenchin’ good music from the hills.

Monday, March 12, 2001

Wiley Dew’s performances have been called "thirst quenchin’ good music from the hills."

And the Ironton Council for the Arts wants area residents to experience just that March 17.

Wiley Dew will perform as part of the council’s 20th Anniversary Platinum Concert Season this Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. at OUSC’s Bowman Auditorium.

Wiley Dew performs folk music with an Irish/Appalachian flavor. Their own songs add to the eclectic blend of music with broad audience appeal.

Named after Kentucky pioneer Jenny Wiley, the lead singer of the group is a sixth generation descendent of the legendary person.

Wiley Dew was formed in the summer of 1998 by co-singer/songwriters Stephen Byington of Greenup, Ky., and Karen Yates of Minford, Ohio.

Byington was raised in Annapolis, Md., and moved to his ancestral hills of Eastern Kentucky when he retired from the U.S. Navy. He plays the mandolin, guitar, sings and writes music. He has played music all his life.

Ms. Yates is the lead singer, who plays guitar, bass, penny whistle and the Irish drum known as the Bodhran. She has been writing songs for 15 years.

Bassist Bill Worrell, a native Texan who lives in Athens, Ohio, has played everything from swing and blues to Dixieland and rock music.

Wiley Dew is one of three warm-up bands to perform for the Troubadour Concert Series at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Ky. Wiley Dew has a CD out, called "hill jack stew," which features 12 original songs.

Tickets for the Ironton Council for the Arts performance are $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and students.

In 1979, city and county cultural leaders formed the Ironton Council for the Arts. Over the years, many people have volunteered their time and financial support to enable the council to build and maintain an arts performance series in Ironton.

This beginning of the new millennium also marks the 20th performance season presented by the council. From four the first season, performances have now grown to six.

The next performance will feature the "Blowin’ in the Wind" reed trio on April 7.