CHEROHALA SKYWAY FESTIVAL
Josh Graves Music Tribute
October 24, 2026 10-5
Charles Hall Museum Tellico Plains, TN
Festival Entrance - 122 Bank Street
Celebrating 30 Years of the Mile High Legend
LIVE BLUEGRASS MUSIC All Day!
JOSH GRAVES MUSIC TRIBUTE @
THE CHEROHALA SKYWAY FESTIVAL!
Award Winning Bluegrass Music Bands!
FREE Dobro Workshop led by the dobro guru, Tellico Plains hometown star, Tim Graves! Thank you, Tim, for your community spirit and WELCOME HOME!
With over 80 national awards and nominations, Tim Graves and The Farm Hands keep an extensive tour schedule across the U.S. Tim Graves, nephew of Uncle Josh Graves, plays his signature 'Tim Graves model' Beard resophonic guitar! The Tellico Plains native, Tim, has held the distinction of being the reigning Dobro Player of the Year in bluegrass music, 16 times! in 2020 he was awarded Master Gold Dobro Player of the year. Tim is the first person to ever receive this award from SPBGMA.
Don Wayne Reno , son of the legendary banjo player Don Reno, extensive career includes working with his father and his brothers. An acclaimed banjo player , Don Wayne is now the banjo man for Tim Graves and The Farm Hands! Jimmy Haynes plays guitar for the group as well as singing parts and doing some songwriting for the group. A performer since his early teens, Jimmy has appeared on many recordings during his career. Bass player and lead singer, Terry Elredge is one of the best bass players/guitar players and singer in the business today! His career took off while playing bass for the Legendary Osborne Brothers for 12 years and later Larry Cordel & Lonesome Standard Time, plus lead singer and guitar player for the Grascals.
Tim Decker & The Tennessee River
Bringing a lot of music in different spectrums, Tim Decker has been a well-known banjo player for over 30 years! Combining their many talents alongside of Tim Decker are dobro player, Jimmie Rosenbaum from Maryville, mandolin player , Steve Potts from Knoxville, upright bass player Dennis Almond from Alcoa, and guitar player John Orr from Alcoa!
Just Us Bluegrass
We’re pleased to welcome Just Us Bluegrass to the main stage lineup for the Cherohala Skyway Festival – Josh Graves Music Tribute 2026! Well-known in the region and a crowd favorite, this talented group has been performing at bluegrass venues since 2006, including appearances at the festival in 2019 and 2021. Their traditional bluegrass sound, strong vocals, and the recently added lively mandolin player will have your feet stomping!
Graves Brothers
This talented brothers and nephews of Uncle Josh Graves, look forward to playing in their hometown at the base of the mountains where they romped as boys! Grammy nominated, award winning songwriter and Nashville recording artist, Tedd Graves will play lead guitar. Grammy award winner Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductee, Tim Graves will be on the dobro. He credits Uncle Josh, with giving him his first dobro and teaching him to play the instrument! You’ll also find Tim playing dobro for Tim Graves and The Farm Hands at The Cherohala Skyway Festival. In 2020, Tim was awarded Master Gold dobro Player of the year from SPBGMA. Rounding our the group is Michael DeBills on piano.
Appalachian Smoke Bluegrass
Appalachian Smoke has found a sound reminiscent of the hollers of Southern Appalachia where they grew up, yet one fresh and varied enough to push the boundaries of traditional bluegrass. Made up of talented songwriters, vocalists, and instrumentalists, the band is honored to sing about the history, traditions, and ways of their mountain home.
“Mountain Mover,” released by Mountain Fever Records, is their latest single!
We are happy to welcome Appalachian Smoke back to the Cherohala Skyway Festival:
• Mikel Laws – hard-driving banjo, lead and harmony vocals, guitar, and songwriting – Bryson City, NC
• BJ Taylor – vocals and mandolin – Nantahala Community
• Cooper Marona – vocals and guitar – Cameron, NC
• Alec McCallister – fiddle – Mocksville, NC
Wilson & Cross Bluegrass Band
Wison & Cross is a dynamic new bluegrass group hailing from East Tennessee!
This talented band is a collaboration of members from The Deep River Boys, The Appalachian Stringband, and The Volunteer Skyway Boys, blending their rich musical experiences into an eclectic mix of bluegrass, country, gospel, and western. Band members are: Nate DeMaria fiddle player- Chattanooga; Logan Cross-Banjo -Cleveland; Todd Standridge -guitar- Tellico Plains; and Johnny Wison- Bass - Spring City.
The local JAM Kids will showcase the skills they’ve gained through the Junior Appalachian Musicians program, performing traditional Appalachian-style tunes on the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and guitar!
Try Clogging with Deb McCarter. All ages love the Clogging Stage!
Our local Mountain Music String Band will serenade the early crowd before the stage music begins!
Jim Brooks Music
Stop by the Jim Brooks Music tent for a hands-on Appalachian Folk Music experience! Try your hand at one of the many instruments he’ll have set up on display tables and get a quick lesson from Jim himself. You can also check out his 3D-printed custom musical instruments available for sale!
Honoring Josh Graves
at the Cherohala Skyway Festival!
Why do we honor Josh Graves at the Josh Graves Music Tribute at the Cherohala Skyway Festival ?
Highlighting our mountain heritage of bluegrass and mountain music has been a big draw at the Cherohala Skyway Festival since the first festival in 2016. The Charles Hall Museum’s Cherohala Skyway Committee welcomes Tim Graves and the Farm Hands and the Graves Brothers (Tim, Tedd & MIke) back to the Cherohala Skyway Festival! Tim is a celebrated dobroist who weaves in stories about his uncle and credits Uncle Josh for giving him his first dobro and teaching him to play the instrument! In 2020, Tim was awarded Master Gold dobro Player of the year from SPBGMA. A day filled with excellent bluegrass music also includes recording bluegrass bands, Tim Decker and the Tennessee River and Appalachian Smoke! Both bands are full of talented bluegrass musicians including some of the best dobro players, plus recording artists! Young music sensation, Wyatt Ellis and His Bluegrass Band will be joining the music line-up at the Cherohala Skyway Festival! A skilled composer and multi-instrumentalist with a deep respect for tradition, Wyatt leads a powerhouse band known for their high-energy, single-mic performances.​
Burkett Howard Graves was born in Tellico Plains on September 27, 1927. With a music career spanning over 50 years, he popularized a new instrument to the world of bluegrass, the resonator guitar (dobro), after joining Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1955. Uncle Josh (his stage name) adapted Earl Scruggs’ unique three-finger banjo style to the resonator guitar (Dobro), a new technique to the world of dobroist. This gave Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys, one of the most famous bands in the history of bluegrass music, their distinctive sound.
Josh inspired hundreds of musicians to become dobroists and encouraged them to develop their own music. Josh was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 1997. His style to inspire rising musicians to play and perfect the resonator guitar (dobro) continues!
In 2019, the Cherohala Skyway Visitor's Center, next door to the Hall Museum, became a stop along the Tennessee Music Pathways in honor of Tellico Plains being the hometown of Uncle Josh. There is a special display that honors Josh that includes a video of Josh playing the dobro!
To learn more about the enormous contributions Josh Graves made to blue grass music visit the display on Josh and Tim Graves at the Hall Museum that includes an original Josh Graves dobro that is on loan from the Harold and Peggy Randolph family! We look forward to the Randolph family joining us at the festival!