Heather Berry & Dominion Grass

Heather Berry Sings Tom T. into Country Hall

Heather Berry

Heather Berry and Tony Mabe

Heather on: Before Bluegrass

My husband and I have been wanting to record a project like this since we first started dating. Now thanks to Tom T. and Dixie Hall and Blue Circle Records, we are so happy to present this album to you.

These are the kind of songs that we grew up on, and are very near and dear to our hearts. For name’s sake, we’re calling this “Before Bluegrass” because it really is the style of music that bluegrass came from.

From the late 20’s on up through the early 40’s, this was the kind of music that was being played in the hills and mountains, especially in the South East, and what was popular on the radio all over the country at that time. The folks that made it famous like the Original Carter Family, Jimmy Rodgers, and Charlie Poole (to name just a few) are some of out biggest influences. And we want to not only help to preserve the heartfelt, beautifully pure music that they made, but to also maybe introduce it to new audiences who will hopefully love it just as much as us.

All of these songs were recorded completely live. There are no punches, vocal tuning, or effect; just honest “homegrown” music that means the world to us.

- Heather Berry Mabe
Order Before Bluegrass

About Heather

Heather Berry grew up in Sherando, Virginia which is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Central Virginia.

She got her first experience singing in front of a crowd in her Grandfather's church, Central Baptist in Waynesboro, VA at the early age of five years old.

Listening to old Carter Family records, Heather learned early to accompany herself with the guitar and Autoharp, and at the age of 12 was being asked to grace the stage with such notable artists as "The First Family of Bluegrass Gospel", Lewis Family and the late Charlie Waller and the County Gentlemen.

Heather formed her first band and started recording at the age of 12 and recorded her first CD, "Reflections of the Past" at Major Recording Studio in Waynesboro, VA with musicians James Bailey and Robbey Meadows.

When she was 16, Heather displayed her vocal, instrumental, and writing talents on an all-Gospel project , entitled "He Walks Beside Me" and caught the attention of singer-songwriters, Dixie and Tom T. Hall and was signed to the Blue Circle Records Label not long after the release of that CD. "He Walks Beside Me" featured two songs penned by Heather; one of her love, admiration and thankfulness for her Mother titled "My Mother is My Favorite Childhood Memory", in which she thanks God for the blessings of being raised in the Blueridge Mountains of Virginia, and for the love of her family. And the other "Do I Care (That He Cared For Me)" a song that causes one to search their own heart, and one of her father's favorite songs, she says.

Presently, the age of 20, Heather has released seven CDs, the latest two are on Blue Circle Records.

"To A Dove", was released in April of 2006 and Heather was backed by some very big names in bluegrass: The Whites, (a duet with) Mac Wiseman, Eddie and Martha Adcock, Wayne Benson, Mike Bub, Chris and Sally Jones, Don Rigsby, Alecia Nugent, The Isaacs and the list goes on. "To A Dove" is a collection of some great bluegrass, traditional Carter Family, folk, original and Gospel songs; five of which were written by Dixie and Tom T. Hall.

Heather’s NEW CD, “BEFORE BLUEGRASS” with her husband Tony Mabe is a very special recording featuring all original songs by Tom T. & Dixie Hall and Heather &Tony! This project is full of honest, pure and beautiful old-timey style music. Heather & Tony are very proud to say that it is their best recording yet, and even prouder that it’s already made it to ‘Tom T.’s pick up truck’! Be sure to check it out!