Sister Sadie at Newberry Opera House

Event Details

Sister Sadie is a wildfire: raging hot Bluegrass combined with breathtaking instrumental drive and awe-inspiring vocals. This isn’t your granddaddy’s Appalachian high lonesome sound. This is something far more powerful than that—it’s the sound of the mountains themselves.

Description

The women of Sister Sadie didn’t plan to stick around for more than a decade when they first formed. They didn’t even plan to stick around for more than one show. But fate had other plans. In December of 2012, the original lineup of the band took the stage at the Station Inn with the goal of having a good time and playing good music together. “We thought it would be a fun little thing,” says Gena Britt. But it was immediate from the first moment that this band was more than just a flash in the pan. “I’ll never forget it. At five o’clock that evening, when we hit the first note, we all looked at each other like, ‘Oh yeah, this is pretty special.’”

The original Station Inn lineup formed the core of the band for the majority of the first eight years, featuring Dale Ann Bradley, Beth Lawrence, Tina Adair, and of course, Deanie Richardson and Gena Britt. Together, this lineup reached heights that none of them thought imaginable leading into what they had assumed would be a one-time Christmas season pickup gig. In 2019, following the release of their second studio album “Sister Sadie II” on Pinecastle Records, they had their debut on the Grand Ole Opry, won their first IBMA award for Vocal Group of the Year, and received a GRAMMY® nomination for Bluegrass Album of the Year. In 2020, Deanie was named the IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year (the second woman to win that prize in the 30-year history of the awards), and the band took home the top prize as the Entertainer of the Year. Sister Sadie was also named Vocal Group of the Year for the second year running.

But without change, there is no growth—and Sister Sadie continues to grow. Jaelee Robers was added as the new lead vocalist in 2020. She brings the power and confidence that is needed to capture an audience. Deanie and Gena’s favorite singer/songwriter, Dani Flowers was welcomed into the group as the third vocalist. Dani’s sweet, tender tone melds seamlessly with her harmonies. While not intended, it was ironic how it worked out that Dani’s first show with Sister Sadie was at the Station Inn, where the band was originally formed. It seemed like the perfect fit, and it was. The addition of Dani maintained the inescapable magnetic draw that the Sister Sadie trio is known for. The final puzzle piece fell into place with the addition of Maddie Dalton to the band in 2023. Maddie is widely known in the Missouri bluegrass scene & she is a musical force to be reckoned with. Maddie’s second show with the band was again at The Station Inn, the band’s home away from home.

This new energy continues to drive the band forward. Now, entering their second decade as a band, the energy that they felt all those years ago burns brighter than ever before.