MONMOUTH – The DownEast Country Music Association will present its first Country Music Jamboree from May 7 to 9 at Beaver Brook Campground just off of Route 202.

Friday night kicks off with a karaoke contest, with prizes for first through fifth place. Saturday’s lineup starts at 10 a.m. with Ashley Nicole Howard.

Howard, a Detroit native, is 11 years old with the power and stage presence of a veteran performer. She’s the reigning Junior Female Vocalist, New Country 7 to 12 as well as Female Entertainer of DECMA New England and the Future Star of Tomorrow with the North America Country Music Associations International.

Also scheduled are local favorites Al Wing and Silver Wings. They’ve won awards as a band, as well as Al Wing being named Male Vocalist of the Year by both the DownEast and Maine country music association. His wife, Shirley, is also a great vocalist as well as an accomplished songwriter.

Dan Pelletier, lead guitarist, is a Lewiston native, who has won several instrumentalist awards, including the prestigious Lenny Breau award. Frank Breton, Jr., a young drummer, also is from the Lewiston area. This will be his second appearance at Beaver Brook and his first with DownEast association.

Award-winning entertainers

Bill Giasson will be playing rhythm guitar and sharing triple duty as co-master of ceremonies, part of the duet team You and I and performing in the band is the DownEast association’s reigning Senior Male Vocalist and Entertainer. He has won several awards and competed with his duet partner, Elizabeth Decker, in the national finals.

Elizabeth Decker of Lisbon is the reigning Traditional Female Entertainer and has been named Female Vocalist, Entertainer, Gospel Songwriter and Country Songwriter of the Year by the Maine and DownEast associations.

She has topped the European and independent charts with cuts from her album “Franklin’s Moon.” She is a co-master of ceremonies and part of You and I, and she was a member of the award-winning Ghostrider Country/Western Swing Band. She is also a national and international award winning artist.

From Andover is the duet team of Nickels and Dimes. They were runner-ups for the duet team title and also competed in the national finals in Tennessee.

Hailing from the Limerick area is the family team of Brian, Adam and Sandi Wardwell. Brian is the reigning Male Vocalist 7 to 12 in the traditional category for the DownEast association.

Adam, the reigning Traditional Male Entertainer for the DownEast association, represented Maine in the finals in Tennessee. Sandi, a former “Sweet Adeline,” has represented Maine in both national and international competition.

Other performers are Florita, a vocalist from South Portland; Shirley Jean from the Oxford Hills area, who’s half of the duet team “Voices of Light”; and the trio of Billy G and Kathy with the Black Mountain Hobo.


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