Entertainment

Troy Engle & Southern Skies

Troy Engle’s resume reads like a who’s who of bluegrass and country music. He has played everywhere from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to bluegrass festivals all across North America, with artists like: Patty Loveless, Larry Sparks, The Isaacs, and Buddy Jewell. He’s written award-winning bluegrass hits with Dixie and Tom T. Hall and composed music for TV Shows like The Voice, American Pickers, Duck Dynasty, and Pawn Stars. Now he and his band “Southern Skies” step into the spotlight at the Museum, to shine the light on Troy’s original music.

Recently, Troy released his first solo Bluegrass album with the same name. And by solo, we do mean SOLO! Troy sang and wrote all 12 songs on the project, played mandolin, banjo, fiddle, dobro, guitar, upright bass, strings, and drums! And if that wasn’t enough, Troy recorded, mixed, and mastered the album as well.

He has gathered an amazing set of musicians to bring these tunes to life on stage. The band specializes in original, traditional bluegrass and country music, with a modern flair. If you took Alison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs, Larry Sparks, and threw in a little Randy Travis for good measure, “Troy Engle and Southern Skies” is what that band might sound like! They bring honest, heartfelt music to fans of all ages!

Meet the Band: Southern Skies

Mandy Engle provides upright bass and vocals. She also plays piano, violin, and tuba! Mandy has co-written several songs with Troy, and has performed at the songwriter showcase at the IBMA World of Bluegrass.

Jenny Pickel plays fiddle and sings lead and harmony vocals. She has performed with Pennsylvania favorite “3 Dollar Suit,” and when not fiddling, she passes her time teaching 3rd graders in elementary school!

Adam Kruzic plays mandolin and sings harmony vocals. He has played in many great bands including “Blue Daze,” “Mercury Rizing,” and “Blue Roots.” He is a fixture in the Mid Atlantic Bluegrass scene, and an avid super jam hunter. If you want to find where the hot picking is going on, just follow Adam, AKA “Lefty”!

Steve Streett is a multi-instrumentalist, who provides solid banjo playing for the band. He also plays fiddle, bass, pedal steel, mandolin, guitar, and more. Hopefully we can get him to drag out some other instruments too! Steve has been a mainstay sideman in the MD/PA area for several years. He also plays with local favorite, “Hot Rod Mule.”