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Robert Earl Keen Added to MerleFest 2015 Lineup

Nov. 24, 2014. MerleFest, slated for April 23-26, 2015, has added Robert Earl Keen to the music festival’s lineup.

The four-day event, an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Now three-decades since the release of his debut album, with well over a dozen other records to his name and thousands of shows under DownloadedFilehis belt, Robert Earl Keen has blazed a peer, critic and fan-lauded trail that’s earned him pioneer – and living legend – status in the Americana music world. Inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012, Keen has built a reputation as one of the nation’s finest musical storytellers. His signature hits include “Merry Christmas from the Family,” “Whenever Kindness Fails” and the iconic “The Road Goes On Forever.” Keen’s next project, “Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions,” is scheduled for release in early 2015.

Keen’s addition to the lineup underscores the diversity and quality of performers who are the hallmark of the festival. MerleFest is known for its unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock and many other styles that the late Doc Watson referred to as “traditional plus.”

“Robert Earl Keen is one of those ‘genre bending’ artists that fits well with the music of MerleFest. He has played the festival in the past and with his new album release it made sense to bring him back for 2015,” said Steve Johnson, artist relations manager for MerleFest. “Folks can expect to hear a mix of his hits and songs from his new bluegrass-influenced album. We are excited to have him return to Wilkesboro and to the Watson Stage at MerleFest on Sunday afternoon next year!”

Additional performers for MerleFest 2015 will be announced in the coming months. The lineup is viewable at www.MerleFest.org/lineup.

Tickets for MerleFest 2015 are now on sale and may be purchased at www.MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. A three-tiered pricing structure is offered for MerleFest 2015: an Early Bird Tier 1 ticket discount is available through Feb. 15, 2015, an Early Bird Tier 2 ticket discount will run from Feb. 16, 2015, through April 22, 2015, and the third price tier will be gate pricing. Fans are encouraged to take advantage of the extended early bird discount.

MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.