Bio
Guitar and Dobro/Resophonic Guitar player Jeremy Sicely, is a native Vermonter. Raised in a family of musicians dating back to the 1940's Sicely Orchestra. Jeremy has been involved with the Vermont Music scene since age 15 with the band Nigel Guy from Cabot, Vermont who released 3 albums and is featured on the 2011 release of Area Code 802. With Nigel Guy he took a musical ramble into the Burlington area and was a drummer for Rock n' Roll Sherpa, Lunar Railroad, and 2nd Agenda.
In 2003, Jeremy returned to his musical roots, picked up a Dobro, and helped form Bluegrass group The Medicinals, and later linked up with already well formed Bluegrass outfit, Gold Town from Southern Vermont. On the latest Gold Town Album Jeremy penned one song and sat in on Dobro on a three songs.
More recent conquests include Flat Top Trio, who released a CD January 2012, family band, Hillside Rounders who released and EP May 2012 and full length album Lighning In A Bottle in 2016.
Influences
Drawing from Traditional, Folk, Bluegrass and Country, and artists spanning from John Prine, John Hartford, Clarence White, and The Carter Family, Jeremy uses all good truth bearing music as a compass. "Good music will translate the past and becomes more relevant with tarnish and time."
Coming from a family of musicians, Father Mike Sicely, Uncle Rich Sicely, and Grandfather Dick Sicely, there is no doubt these are Jeremy's biggest influences musically. Also Jeremy's Mother, Susan Sanders a published poet and English Instructor is an inspiration for songwriting.
Sicely Orchestra 1950's at Scribner's Barn in Calais VT
William (Bill) Sicely - Singing Gladys Sicely - Playing Accordian
History
Like many folks that settled in Vermont the Sicely family was of Irish decent and came down from Canada in the Early 1800's and settled in Calais, Vermont. The earliest known musician was Joseph Sicely who Doc Sicely recalls would be called on to play the Fiddle at what was called a Kitchen Junket, where people would gather in a home for music and dancing. Mary (Lapan) Sicely, Joseph's wife and Doc's grandmother, was French Canadian and taught the traditional dance style Clogging to Doc Sicely.
Later on, William (Bill) Sicely Joseph's son, formed a group called the Sicely Orchestra, with his wife Gladys that played out locally at places like The Capital City Grange in Montpelier, Vermont, and Scribners Barn in Calais, Vermont. Doc Sicely would attend and dance with his wife Alice and Doc recalls, "being able to buy a six pack of beer for a dollar!".
Richard "Dick" Sicely got his start at a young age with The Sicely Orchestra calling square dances for two dollars a night and later at the request of his mother Midlred (Clough) Sicely, picked up the guitar to, "keep him out of trouble". Dick later lements "she didn't know I would end up playing in Honky Tonks!"
Dick Sicely has had many irons in the fire of music and released one full length album, Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, in 1976, and two 45's with the Big In Country band which included his Brother Roger Sicely, and Cousins, Mickey Humphrey, and Ray Hartson. Dick also backed many artist's with his band that would roll through the area including Country Music Hall of Fame's, Carl Smith.
Doubling as a radio DJ and concert promoter, Dick was the MC at many shows including Bill Monroe at the Barre Auditorium in 1963, and also long time MC of the Stark Fiddlers Contest in Stark, New Hampshire.
Dick opened the Country Music Bar, The Country Cuzzin, in Barre, Vermont, where his sons Mike Sicely and Rich Sicely received an education in Country Music as the house band when Bass player Mike, was age 16, and Guitar player Rich, age 14.
Brothers Rich and Mike Sicely have been playing music together since they could get there hands on a guitar. They started The Young Country Sounds, in 1976 won second place in The Green Mountain Country Music Contest when Rich was age 13 and Mike 15. As a result they procured studio time at the then renown Suntreadder Studios and recorded a 3 song demo with late great Engineer Crow Levine.
Young Country Sounds-Richie's Blues
Mike Sicely-Rich Sicely-Kevin Morrison-Howard Tebbetts
Later as the house band at the Country Cuzzin, they were exposed to Country Great's the performed at the club like, Ernest Tubb and The Texas Trubadors, The Drifting Cowboys, Kitty Wells, and Jim and Jesse McReynolds. They also were the backing band for many other artist including, Grand Ole Opry Cast Member Red Sovine, and Mercury Recording Artist Dave Dudley.
The Brothers had many other projects together including AZN which included other well known musician Ethan Azarian, and Renegade with their Uncle Ron Sicely that recorded one live album, and had much local success including opening for late great songwriter, Townes Van Zandt, and touring throughout New England.
Quality electric guitar player Rich Sicely, was also a member of Coco and The Lonesome Road Band, with Coco Calais and Paul Miller, who opened for The Forester Sisters and even was able to sit in by chance with fiddle great Vasser Clements. He also opened for Willie Nelson in the southern Vermont based Natalie Cote Band. More Recently Rich recorded with Tom Banjo Azarian on Tom's latest Album.
Today Dick Sicely can still be found every Saturday afternoon on 1240am WSKI hosting The Classic Country Jamboree along with DJ Tom McCleod which he has done for thirty plus years.
Jeremy Sicely, his Father Mike Sicely, and Uncle Rich Sicely are coming out of the woodwork with a new band called The Hillside Rounders.Stemming from a long line of folks that have rounded the many hillsides and honky tonks in Vermont, they perform true to the form country and mountain music. Their music has been described as the sound you might hear turning back the country radio dial by 40 years infused with Bluegrass and American Roots Music.