Rich and the Po' Folks dates to the spring of 2006 when a group of friends got together with a common goal .... to build a band on their shared love for the traditional music of east Kentucky and southwest Virginia. Taking their inspiration from some of the jewels of Appalachian music--fiddlers, banjo players, singers, songwriters-- Rich and the Po' Folks take the work of Old Time giants such as Art Stamper, Ed Haley, Charlie Osborne, George Gibson, Addie Graham, and John Morgan Salyer and use fiddle, banjo, bass, mandolin and guitar to kick it up as only a string band can!  

Led by Rich Kirby (fiddle, mandolin, 6-string banjo), the current lineup consists of Brett Ratliff (guitar and vocals,) Nathan Polly (upright bass and vocals,) and John Haywood (banjo and vocals) and is one of the most talented traditional bands active these days.  As a group they have a cumulative knowledge base of traditional music that could fill an archive and- in their individual pursuits- all are extremely generous in sharing this knowledge through individual lessons, workshops and community events. These guys have devoted a large part of their lives to promoting and preserving the music we love and for this we tip our hats.