About

Mike Hughes discovered the Dobro in the early 70's listening to Mike Auldridge in Washington DC. He bought his current tuxedo MA-6 directly from Auldridge himself decades later.

When not playing with SmokeRise, Mike plays clawhammer banjo at a local contradance caller's workshop and produces songs in his studio loft with an assortment of real and imaginary friends he picked up during the Pandemic Lockdown.  Here are just a few samples of his work away from SmokeRise.

• Hear his Dobro cover of "The Load-out"
• Hear his Playlist of selected songs "Madman Fashion"
• Hear his original composition "Troy's Shuffle"
• Watch a YouTube with his soundtrack for "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
• Watch a video of Mike singing "New Panhandle Rag" with some very impressive friends
• Visit his full SoundCloud page

 Walter Stark grew up in rural North Carolina the son of an itinerate preacher. At the time this was a veritable Petri dish of bluegrass music. As a youth he played some of the music but life and career pursuits took precedence. After 40 years of musical inactivity, an accident and extended convalescence caused a rediscovery of a long neglected passion. Now Walter is blessed to be able to share this music with good friends and neighbors.  

 Reuben Fair was born in Gene Autrey, Oklahoma, and began playing guitar in the late sixties. He played off and on while earning a living with his day job as an engineer. While attending a bluegrass concert in Armuchee Georgia in 2000 his love of music was rekindled and he decided to take up the mandolin while his wife Kim decided to pick the bass and son Trey opted for the Banjo. Reuben is a charter member of the infamous Tucker Station String Band. Reuben lives in Smokerise, Georgia with his wife, Kim and kitty cat, Blue. 

 Kim Fair hails from the little town of Lucedale in coastal Mississippi. She moved to Atlanta for school in the 70′s and never left. With a background in piano and a love of music, Kim became enamored of the sounds of bluegrass while attending a Festival in Armuchee, Georgia in 2000.
Since a piano is a little difficult to carry to a bluegrass jam, Kim opted for the bass which she plays with skill and finesse. Holding down the bottom of the bluegrass group, Kim keeps everybody in line with her solid timing. Since she is a high school math teacher, she has no trouble counting to I-IV-V. Kim is also a founding member of the Tucker Station String Band.