Dusty Shoes are:
Stephen Hughes: mandolin, lead vocals, backing vocals – While growing up in Texas during the early days of folk music, he bought his first banjo at 13 years old. His musical journey has included performing folk, rock, & country music on a variety of instruments before joining a bluegrass band in Wyoming. He picked up the mandolin in California, & along with singing high harmony, it remains his instrument of choice. “Being a member of Dusty Shoes has been the most musical fun I’ve ever had!”
Wendy Stockton: banjo, lead vocals, backing vocals – mixes her formal flute and piano background with a rock and roll attitude and brings it to the banjo. (She’s a huge Led Zep fan!) The result is a driving, tasteful and eminently fun style that turns heads whenever she plays. Her infectious energy is a huge reason why the Dusty Shoes are so much fun to watch perform.
Thomas Bringle: lead guitar, dobro, lead vocals, backing vocals – Equally at home on most stringed and percussion instruments; equal parts talent, skill and artistry; fresh from a lifetime making music; Thomas Bringle fills out the Shoes’ guitar section. Tom hails from rock ‘n roll roots, so he really kicks it up a notch when soloing. He also adds a solid background in recording and music theory training to the lineup.
Mike “Lefty” Nolan: rhythm guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals - Mike is an original member of the Shoes. He enjoys playing guitar and singing in church and for our faithful fans at the Station Grill. He has had a good time getting to know the fellow band members and playing with them each week. He is a two-time world champion wild horse racer. He has helped build houses in Mexico with his church mission team. He is an ordained Christian church minister.
Kelly McKinley: upright bass, lead vocals, backing vocals – Heralding from the ’70s-80s punk/new wave scene, Kelly not only provides the steady foundation from which the Shoes’ music is built; he also gets the crowd’s attention with his bass slapping style and solos. Formally trained in voice and on the trombone, he has expanded his talents to several other stringed instruments. But it’s that doghouse bass that “pays the bills and keeps ‘em coming back for more.”
Bruce Miller: resonator guitar, lead vocals – grew up in the South and attended the University of Florida, playing the blues, bluegrass and honky-tonk music live on local radio, in bars and concerts. In college, he learned banjo and guitar, later using a 3-finger picking style. He is especially fond of straightforward melodies that depict the realities of this life (think Hank Williams). “I don’t mind digging up quirky, silly and obscure tunes, because somebody’s got to do it!”
Ray Berguia: Harmonica, Lead Vocals
