Our neck of the woods has spawned a lot of really good bluegrass bands who became not only local, but regional favorites.   One such group, FlattBroke. (Bill Kramer, columnist, Staunton News Leader)

The group consists of B.J. Thompson (banjo, guitar, songwriter and vocals), Myron Conner (mandolin, guitar, writer and vocals), Dale McClure (guitar, banjo, mandolin, songwriter and vocals), Sheldon Fulk (guitar, songwriter and vocals) and Patrick Shipe (bass, MC, sound and business manager). 

This loose confederation of pickers morphed into a band by chance.   The name “FlattBroke” was a temporary name picked in order to play for a benefit.  The name stuck.  After several months of jamming weekly and playing for the benefit, requests for FlattBroke to play at public and private events began coming quickly.   After the first quarter, the group went into the studio to put together their first CD: “Out of the Tractor Shed”.  Influences on the CD include classic bluegrass, old country standards and some originals.  The group’s repertoire dips into rock and roll, folk, gospel and any other path you’d want to hear and they have the chemistry to make it work.   While the group adapted to working in the studio, they are most at home in front of a single microphone, playing for fans and family.  A year after their first public appearance they will go back into the studio (early 2009) for their second CD.

For the boys in the band, it all comes back to why they came into being in the first place, “We have a real friendship, a love for each other that makes us like one big family.  When FlattBroke is having fun, the audience has fun, too.”

Patrick Shipe plays the upright Bass.  He and his wife Cathy live in the Churchville Virginia area.  They have four adult children and 10 grandchildren, with one more on the way.  Along with his family, Pat enjoys woodworking, outdoor sports, cooking and bluegrass music.  Often you’ll see him working the sound board at all sorts of events, including FlattBroke when necessary.  Pat actually got into the music business many years ago providing lights and sound but didn’t start playing music until a few short years ago.  After a weekend at the Graves Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Madison County, Pat decided he was going to purchase an upright bass and learn how to play it!  That he did with influences from other bassists, such as Ronald Davis, who played with “Phoenix” at the time and previously with Charlie Waller and The Country Gentlemen.  While Pat has not had the privilege to play on stage with many bluegrass greats, he has met and been honored to work sound for many of them.   

Pat handles the business end of the band, including bookings, and also provides most of the MC work on stage.                           

 Pat working his sound magic at the WSIG Real Country show at Rockingham Co. Fair

Myron Conner lives in Weyers Cave Virginia with his wife Christa and daughter Jordan.  Myron plays the mandolin and rhythm guitar and provides fine tenor harmony.  He recently penned an instrumental which will be featured on the upcoming CD, “Goin’ to the Glen”.  Myron’s hobbies are simple: he likes hunting and fishing, loves college football and NASCAR Racing, but his favorite hobby is playing bluegrass music, all of these with his friends.  He does enjoy his backyard fire pit, especially while listening to bluegrass music.  Myron’s music career really started in his teenage years playing drums in a garage band.  He also plays a mean blues harmonica.  His music ability, love for all sorts of music and spontaneous humor are tremendous assets to the band and their stage show.

Sheldon Fulk is from the Mossy Creek area but now lives in Harrisonburg Virginia with his wife Carrie and young son Mason.  Sheldon plays the rhythm guitar but has been practicing on Pat’s bass and will soon master it to play on stage.  Sheldon’s love for his wife, son and music is very strong.  His hobbies are few:  hunting and fishing and playing music.  Sheldon is usually the quiet one in the band until he sings one of his original songs or plays one of his many instrumentals.  The first CD, “Out of the Tractor Shed”, includes some of Sheldon’s original work and others will be included on the new CD.  Sheldon’s Dad, Rodney, introduced him to old country favorites when he was a young boy and he speaks fondly of the times he sat and listened to his dad play and sing.  Rodney’s guitar playing style is carried on by his son.   Sheldon brings to the band a ballad-style vocal.  His arrangement of “Six White Horses”, a tune recorded in the sixties by Waylon Jennings, is one of the group’s favorite songs and has gotten a lot of attention from fans and local radio stations.       

B.J. Thompson from Staunton Virginia is married to Shelly, who is the group’s photographer.  B.J. has a daughter Emily and son Joey.  Joey, 9 years old, is already learning to flat pick and play mandolin and was recently featured at one of the group’s outings.  B.J. makes a point to spend valuable time with his family but they are very supportive of his passion for bluegrass.  While B.J. prefers to play guitar and is an awesome flat picker, he plays the banjo which the group needed.   Occasionally, he will switch off with Dale and play guitar on stage.  He has also penned a song that will be featured on the next CD, “Blood is Thicker Than Water”.  B.J. brings to the group his love for traditional bluegrass, particularly bluegrass gospel, and old country music.  When not singing lead, he provides baritone harmony.   

Like the rest of the band, B.J.’s hobbies include hunting and fishing, but the music is most important.  He enjoys camping with his family and spends several weekends with friends at NASCAR races each year.

Our “Biggest-Little” fan is B.J.s’ nephew Will.

      Dale McClure lives with his wife Kristi and three sons, Dustin, Patrick and Garrett, in Roanoke.   Dale has to be the most dedicated since he travels the most; he says he is in it for the long haul.  The trips up and down interstate 81 provide inspiration for many of his songs.  His commitment to the band actually inspires the rest of the group.  Dale says music is not just his lifelong hobby; it is his sanity.  He has had several hobbies, one of which was restoring an old Mustang, but he keeps coming back to his music.  Dale sings lead and plays the guitar on most songs but switches with B.J. and Myron on the banjo and mandolin.  Occasionally, he enjoys playing his blues harp during the groups practice sessions which will be added to the stage show.   Dale plays everything well.  Throw out a song title or name an artist and he can spit out a song, regardless the style of music (rock-n-roll, new or old country, folk, blues…whatever).  Dale wrote a number of songs included on the first CD, “Out of the Tractor Shed” and others will be included on the upcoming CD.  During practice sessions, the group will take a break from serious work on their music and ask Dale to serenade them.  During one of those sessions, Dale introduced “Bethany” with a little background about the song and the group immediately decided it was going to be on the next CD.