Bluegrass band Dewey & Lesley is comprised of married couple Dewey and Lesley Brown and along with their world class band The Carolina Gentlemen, they released their debut album, Under The Mountain, on March 17. Recently this multi-talented duo took some time to answer a few of our questions about their careers, family and the new album.
CN: Hello folks! Would you mind telling our readers who may not be familiar with you a little bit about yourselves?
Dewey Brown: Sure! I am Dewey Brown, you may know me better as the late great Dr. Ralph Stanley’s fiddle player for over 11yrs.
Leslie Brown: I am Leslie Brown, Dewey’s wife and we have now started a band together called Dewey & Leslie Brown and The Carolina Gentlemen.
CN: Both of you learned to play your instruments at young ages, watching elder family members play and becoming eager to learn yourselves. How important was it to you to not only learn what you fell in love with, but to obviously carry on this tradition of music that family before you played?
Dewey: It was, and still is very important to learn and pass on this style of American Music. I have been very fortunate to meet, learn, study and experience bluegrass music from a variety of people. Many became good friends. I am always eager to share my knowledge to anyone with a thirst to learn.
CN: You both grew up in music loving families, soaked in the rich bluegrass sound. What is it about this genre that drives you? Was it the music that brought you two together?
Leslie: Well there is such deep roots in this music that makes you feel connected to the core of who you are, or that’s how it makes me feel. We did both come from music loving families but I grew up in southwest Virginia, not far from Dr. Ralph Stanley and went to the same Primitive Baptist Church, so I’ve always been a fan. I went to a lot of Bluegrass festivals clogging and square-dancing, and that’s how I met Dewey… he was playing with Dr. Ralph and after the show he gave me his business card, we began dating and got married. So we have always shared a love of this music.
CN: You both own a Performing Arts Theater and have two festivals each year. Do you perform at these festivals? What kind of performers do you invite, up and coming or seasoned?
Dewey & Leslie: Yes we do, and we also perform at our venues too. But we love bringing in traditional bluegrass and country acts. It’s always nice to have a veteran or seasoned group perform. We try to find acts that will work with our 450 seat theater, and one that our patrons will love to see. It’s all about entertainment and giving the people a great experience to remember. We have had The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill, Gene Watson, Jimmy Fortune, Dr. Ralph Stanley and Lorrie Morgan. We continue to add great talent each year for an intimate experience with the performers you won’t find anywhere else. We are primarily a traditional bluegrass music festival but we do scatter in some progressive here and there, made up of local and regional bands. We pride ourselves on it being a family friendly festival that reminds you of the good old days.
CN: Leslie, have you written songs for other artists as well as your albums?
Leslie: I did co-write several songs on Dewey’s latest solo album Hard Times for a Fiddler, one of which Dr. Ralph Stanley decided to record on his album A Mother’s Prayer. The song was “Let Me in Your Heart.” I have had several artists approach me about writing songs for them, and am currently working on a few.
CN: Dewey, you’ve recorded on albums with Josh Turner and Dierks Bentley, performed on Letterman, but what was it like to perform for The Queen of England? How did this come about?
Dewey: When I was working with Dr. Ralph Stanley I had the opportunity to record and perform with many well known entertainers. Josh and Dierks were a part of the Cracker Barrel recording Dr. Ralph did. They were among many more hand picked friends of Dr. Stanley. The David Letterman show was a great experience and we also played the world famous Carnegie Hall as well when in New York City. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited Richmond,VA in 2007, and I was honored to participate and perform in the entertainment with Dr. Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys. I give credit to my father Dewey Brown Jr. who provided me the opportunity to learn the fiddle at a young age where we enjoyed countless festivals, picking parties and other music events.
CN: Dewey, you own and manage a music store where you sell instruments and give lessons and Leslie, you are a Registered Nurse. Do you still work those jobs or do you play music full time?
Leslie: I work part time now as a Registered Nurse because of my responsibilities with our theater, The Liberty Showcase, while also taking care of most of the band responsibilities as well.
Dewey: I do still own and manage Dewey Brown’s Music and Lessons during the week. I also own several rental properties, so I stay busy, that’s for sure!
CN: You have 2 children. Do either of them have an interest in music? If so, what advice do you give them or any young person for that matter, wanting to get into this business?
Leslie: Yes, Savannah Belle (8yrs old) and Dewey Brown IV (5yrs old). Savannah Belle is very actively involved in competitive dance, so that is her connection to music, but our son really loves bluegrass! He has started playing around with a few different instruments. His favorite bands are The Del McCoury Band and The Commonwealth Bluegrass Band.
Dewey: My advice for any young person wanting to get into this business would be that practice makes perfect and never give up. If you really want to be in the business, let God direct your steps and He will lead you where you are meant to go! Don’t let anyone tell you any different!
CN: You’ve just released a single “Those Old Mountains,” can you give us a little background on it and the album ‘Under the Mountain’?
Leslie: Well, “Those Old Mountains” is my homesick song. I wrote that when I was on my way to North Carolina from a visit back home in Virginia with my family. Each time I looked in the rearview mirror, an overwhelming memory of my childhood would flood my mind, and it was really as if the mountains were calling me home. I wrote 12 out of 14 of the songs on this album and many of them have to do with my experiences growing up and also more recent experiences.
CN: In addition to the album, what’s next on the horizon for you guys in 2018?
Dewey & Leslie: Well we will be on the road touring and we are going to be right back in the studio mid-summer working on our next album! We are so thankful for how far we have come and appreciate all of our friends for supporting us!
Under The Mountain includes 14 all new recordings and is available on iTunes or by visiting the bands website: www.deweyandlesliebrown.com