"Hardly a soul left sitting down!" - Larry Ellis, Newberry College

Father Son and Friends consists of...

Joey Hall:

Joey started playing music at the ripe ol' age of 11 because his dad was a mandolin player and dance caller.  Joey admits he made some mistakes early on in his life.  He dropped out of school and ran the streets for a bit.  Then, to support his young family, he got his GED and put himself through college.  It was during this time that he started re-enacting with some friends.  

While re-enacting, Joey started playing a lot of the music from people he was influenced by as a kid in Kentucky.  "I used to play music with my aunts and uncles when I was growing up.  We used to listen to people like Bill Monroe and The Beatles" Joey recalled.  Also influenced by the likes of Jim Croce, Andy M. Stewart, Brian McNeil, and John Denver - Joey started to consider playing music professionally.   "I didn't really want to form a "band" so to speak.  I wanted to play music with my son and some friends" Joey said.    It was while sitting around a campfire at a festival in Vincennes, Indiana when, from out of the shadows, a gentleman came up and said "You guys are pretty good. You should record this stuff!" - that is how Father Son and Friends came to be.

During the early years of the band, Joey had the opportunity to go back to school and received his Masters Degree in education from Wright State University in 1994. After teaching special education for a number of years, he retired to take Father Son and Friends on the road full time.

Now, he criss crosses the country putting thousands of miles on the tour bus as drives the rig/merchandise store for the band to various festivals/fairs. "I'm the old guy - how did I get stuck doing this?", Joey jokes. Adding, "But, it's what I like to do".      

Quentin Marsh:

Like Shawn, Quentin "Q" Marsh has been around music all of his life.  “I grew up listening to all kinds of music and hardly ever had the TV on when I wasn’t outside....thanks to my parents.  I started classical training on the violin at age 7, just because it was the cool thing to do in 2nd grade.  Things seemed to snowball from there all the way into high school.  I picked up guitar at 12, joined competitive and traveling orchestras, learned conducting and score reading, had lead roles in musicals, and eventually made up my mind to go to music school.”
 
Quentin attended the University of Dayton and received his Bachelors in Music Education.  “At UD I started to identify with music, figuring out my sound and style, and that it’s not all about theory.  I wrote my first decent tunes then, and played with a few bands.  I knew I never really wanted to be a teacher, but went into Music Ed to learn the pedagogy behind all instruments.  That’s really helped me out as kind of a “swing man” for FSF, especially when I’m on backup vocals and percussion.  It also comes in handy playing and recording my own tunes.“
 
After many attempts, Quentin was able to start playing music with FSF in the fall of 2014.  “Shawn actually tried to get me to sub with the band for a little over a year, but my schedule wouldn’t match up” Q said.  “It’s a bummer I missed so many opportunities to play, what a great group.  I actually heard the band and met Shawn and Joey in person on St. Patty’s Day in 2014, four days before my wedding.  I just remember what a great time it was and how I hoped I’d get the chance to play”. 


After working as Director of Production and Operations for the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, he relocated back to his hometown of Rochester, NY.  Q is now the Alumni and Engagement Officer for the Eastman School of Music.  When he isn't working or with the band, he writes and records his own tunes, plays golf or finds other reasons to be outside.  He is living the dream with his beautiful wife (formerly his piano accompanist and UD lady-friend) Liz, and their two dogs, Louie and Tami. 

Shawn Hall:

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