Photo Courtesy Fred RobbinsAl Olsteen who played with Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys, appeared on the Grand Ole Opry with Jim & Jesse and has been a banjo instructor for 30 plus years, has been battling cancer. To help offset the medical expenses, Betty McDaniel is spearheading a fundraising effort by raffling off a a Lo Gordon Clawhammer Banjo valued at $1400. Raffle tickets are $10 each and can be purchased by sending a check (made out to Al Olsteen) to McDaniel’s at 792 Holly Springs Rd, Pickens, SC. 29671.
Betty McDaniel’s letter with full details is below. There is also a discussion going on about Al Olsteen on the BanjoHangout and there’s more info on Al Olsteen here.
Dear Friends,
As many of you know our dear friend and fellow musician, Al Osteen, is battling cancer. Last week he had emergency surgery to remove some tumors. He’s recovering at home now and will start chemo after he’s had a chance to gain some strength.
Al has been a musician his entire adult life. He began playing banjo with Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys. He’s played at the Grand Ole Opry and throughout the South. But his real legacy has been with his teaching. He’s taught over 30 years people such as Charles Wood and Kristin Scott Benson. Even more important to us, however, are the children he’s taught who now love and will hopefully continue to love traditional music and their time spent with Al in class. Al has been teaching with our Young Appalachian Musician (YAM) program for 2 years in 3 different schools. When he began teaching children from these mountains, he had many private students with plenty of money as well as gigs with people in “high places.” He, however, decided to give back to this mountain community and teach our children for much less than he could’ve made at his gigs and private lessons.
We appreciate so much what Al has done for this community and we want to give back a little to him. Andrea Deyrup, who won the Lo Gordon clawhammer banjo (worth $1400) we raffled off last spring has generously offered to “give back” the banjo for us to raffle off again…this time for Al. We will be selling tickets for $10 each and the drawing will be held on Oct. 29 at Oolenoy.
Please help get the word out about Al and the banjo raffle. If you would like for me to send tickets to you to sell, please let me know (864-878-4257). If you, or someone you know, would like to buy ticket(s), you can send a check (made out to Al Osteen) to me (Betty McDaniel) at 792 Holly Springs Rd, Pickens, SC. 29671. I’ll be happy to fill out any tickets for you; just send your name and phone number.Again, I want to say how grateful I am to Andrea for offering to give back this beautiful banjo. So, there is a second opportunity to win the banjo while you’re helping out our buddy and one of the Masters. Or as Andrea says, “Get this beautiful banjo for just $10.” Please continue to keep Al and his family in your prayers.
Take care, Betty (McDaniel)