The 2009 Front Page Story: The Clan Hall Pipers!
Father, Son and Friends”, a traditional Scottish, Irish and American folk band, has been performing together since 1980. The group consists of Joey Hall (Father) and Shawn Hall (Son) and they are Clan Hall Society's designated Clan Pipers.
“Father Son and Friends” started when a 24-year-old Joey and his 4-year-old son Shawn were attending historical reenactments playing music around the campfire. In the early 1980s, Joey and Shawn were turned on to Celtic music by some musician friends in Indianapolis. Father and son set out to explore their Celtic roots. Joey has a very interesting history and stories of his Hall ancestors, especially James Franklin Hall (1845) from Aberdeen, Scotland.
Today, Joey [retired parole officer] and Shawn, along with good friends, take their music to the stage and do what they love best - play traditional Celtic music. "We do this for fun," Joey says emphatically. "This is our hobby." These days, their hobby takes them far and wide.
When they're not playing locally at festive beverage establishments around the Ohio area, they're traveling to perform at historical reenactment groups [Early American, Northwest Territory Alliance (NWTA) Revolutionary group, Civil War, etc.] and Scottish/Irish games/festivals throughout the continental United States. Joey and Shawn toured Ireland in 2006, entertaining and searching for their Celtic roots. Their brand of traditional Celtic music is again rapidly growing in popularity as America rediscovers traditional folk music. Their repertoire includes songs that tell stories of a time and culture long since past---everything from Celtic battle songs to gentle folk ballads -- songs that celebrate a unique time and place. Soon to be added are ballads from the Borders in southern Scotland.
Shawn Hall, born in March of 1971, received his first guitar from his dad for his sixteenth birthday. It wasn’t until Shawn was 19 that he actually began to play the guitar. Shortly thereafter, while at a re-enactment, after a night of great music around the fire, someone asked if they would ever record together. Shawn replied, “yeah, why don’t we.” There the great adventure of “Father, Son and Friends” began. Now, 19 years later, Shawn works for ABC Channel 2 television in Dayton, Ohio. When he isn’t selling television or doing voice work for clients, he is on the road playing music and golfing. “Playing music in a Celtic band allows me to enjoy my life as a cross dresser,” Shawn joked. “People laugh when I tell them I have more kilts than I do pants. The sad part is it’s true!” he said
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There are many Friends who join us on stage. At the Loch Norman Scottish Games in Huntersville, NC, their friends Randy (Skunkmeat) Bloom and Kim Barnes joined them entertaining the crowds. At other times, many other characters and entertainers may perform with us.
They prefer to include the audience in their presentation by creating a fun and enjoyable atmosphere filled with clapping, singing and laughter. |
Please browse their web site at www.fathersonandfriends.com and find out more about “Father, Son & Friends,” their music and what they offer to our Celtic, Scottish and Irish heritage. Visit Joey & Shawn’s website and listen to samples of their music & buy a CD:
http://www.fathersonandfriends.com Joey & Shawn Hall 119 Taywood Road Englewood, OH 45322 Tel: (937) 361-5110 |
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Are you a Clan Hall Society member? Do you have a story to tell about yourself, or something that happened at the Games or Burns Night that other Clan members might enjoy? E-mail it, with a picture to your webmaster (me) and I'll rotate it in this space. Let's get a new story in here every few months!
