Despite being happily married for almost 20 years now, it’s no surprise that she kept her maiden name. And why not; she is Steve Earle’s sister, and that’s a name that can open some doors when you’re trying to make a go of it in the music business. Stacey grew up listening to her older brother’s jam sessions with the likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Townes Van Zandt, and Lyle Lovett; talk about learning at the feet of the masters. Her first show was on an arena stage in Sydney, playing rhythm guitar in her brother’s band, Steve Earle & the Dukes, on “The Hard Way” tour in 1990. She went on to appear on three CDs released by Steve Earle and The Dukes: The Hard Way, Shut Up And Die Like An Aviator, and Transcendental Blues 2000.

Mark Stuart was serving a similar musical apprenticeship. He started his schooling listening and admiring his uncle’s guitar playing and his Dad’s fiddling. Years were spent learning and listening to the greats such as Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, John Fogerty, The Beatles and many more players and singers of all genres. By age 15 he was a member of his Dad’s band, and found himself playing in the School of Honky Tonks and Beer Joints in and around Nashville. He managed to stay awake in high school after playing late nights polishing every riff and bend and vocal chord, and by age 17 he had formed his own band, made a record, and still found the time to play on the road as lead guitar and vocals for acts like Freddy Fender and more. One of those other bands was Steve Earle and the Dukes, and like Stacey he recalls it as a time of glamour: appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” and MTV. “I had someone tuning my guitar, strapping on my guitar,” he said. “Now we carry our stuff three flights up in the Red Roof Inn.”

A great description of Stacey and Mark is “They have voices that make you like them.” Earle’s Iris DeMent-like voice (once described as “a mercurial marriage of spun-glass fragility and molasses-thick Deep South twang”) and Stuart’s high tenor blend better than most male-female duos; their voices not so much melding into one sound, as many good harmony singers achieve, but each retaining its own distinct timbre while enhancing the other. Stuart’s guitar playing is worth raving about: no flashy, many-notes-per-minute pyrotechnics, but instead impressively clean, satisfying accompaniments and leads–and visually unique. He plays bass lead lines by reaching across the top of his guitar neck with his left hand, rather than fretting the strings in the conventional manner, curling from beneath the neck. It looks different, and, while it shouldn’t affect the sound, it somehow manages to. He maneuvers so smoothly from note to note that his instrument often sounds like a Dobro or pedal steel guitar, even when he’s not using a slide. Reminiscent of Chet Atkins, he’s got down pat the muffled, percussive alternating bass, with the clear-as-a-bell melody line ringing out above it.

Together, their songs are incredible. They are polished, faceted gems that evoke feelings rather than convey messages. The lyrics fall into the “poetry should not mean, but be” category; neither literal storytelling nor a random, arbitrary farrago of words but instead spare, compelling sketches that allow us to fill in the pictures.

Just down the road in Union Springs, Alabama you’ll find The Red Door Theatre, formerly the Trinity Episcopal Church, which hosts many events and activities promoting arts and community involvement. Located at the corner of Prairie Street and Blackmon Avenue, the Red Door Theatre was named in honor of the red doors traditionally found on Episcopal churches.

Audition Dates are Sunday, January 15, at 4:30 p.m., and Monday, January 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Red Door Theatre.

Ellisor–an Auburn resident and an Assistant Professor of History at Columbus State University, Columbus, Georgia—introduces his new book, “The Second Creek War: Interethnic Conflict and Collusion on a Collapsing Frontier.” He discusses the Creek Indian Dr. John Ellisor discusses his new book, “The Second Creek War: Interethnic Conflict and Collusion on a Collapsing Frontier,” with Judith Nunn, another local author. Ellisor is guest speaker for the winter meeting of the Lee County Historical Society January 8, 2:30 p.m. CST at the Trade Center Museum, Pioneer Park, Loachapoka, Alabama. All are welcome and there is no fee.
Nation prior to and during its removal in the 1830s, and includes information about the area which is now Lee County.

The Society’s 2012 theme is in keeping with “Becoming Alabama,” a statewide commemoration of three pivotal milestones in Alabama history: the Creek War, the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Alabama Department of Archives and History leads the effort, which involves many historical, cultural, educational, and travel organizations.

The meeting is held in the big, red Trade Center Museum at Pioneer Park in Loachapoka. There is no fee and all are welcome. The Lee County Historical Society is a non-profit organization and membership is open to all. For more information, see www.leecountyhistoricalsociety.org or call Sheila Eckman at 334-750-9666.

Pictured: Dr. John Ellisor discusses his new book, “The Second Creek War: Interethnic Conflict and Collusion on a Collapsing Frontier,” with Judith Nunn, another local author. Ellisor is guest speaker for the winter meeting of the Lee County Historical Society January 8, 2:30 p.m. CST at the Trade Center Museum, Pioneer Park, Loachapoka, Alabama. All are welcome and there is no fee.