The Men of the Week Bios


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Gerald Lee Jones aka "Woo Woo" & "Indiana Jones"

Gerald Jones, 52, is originally from Terre Haute, IN, but now makes his residence with his wife, Tina in Salem, MO.  He is the man behind that "High Lonesome" sound of a Bluegrass fiddle.  He cut his eye teeth on Bluegrass music when he first went to see Bill Monroe & his Bluegrass Boys at Bean Blossom, IN, back in the early 1970's.  Ever since then, he has developed a very energetic traditional-style of Bluegrass fiddlin'. He is also a vital addition to the singing of the many Bluegrass ballads from the MOTW.  Gerald has performed in many Bluegrass bands over the years, including "The Bluegrass Posse", "The Downstate Ramblers", and "Midnight Flight".  Gerald was voted the 1984 Bluegrass Fiddler of the Year at the SPBGMA National Convention and Awards Show held in Nashville, TN.  Gerald brings with him to the MOTW his vast knowledgeable feel and flavor of Bluegrass fiddlin' that anyone will enjoy.  He is carrying on the tradition of the true soul of the early Bluegrass bands with just a little bit of his own personality intertwined in his performances.  His many major Bluegrass influences are Kenny Baker, Paul Warren, Benny Martin, Vassar Clements, Scotty Stoneman and Curly Ray Cline, just to name a few.



Email Leevon

Leevon DeCourley aka "Leavin" & "Ma's Little Fat Boy"

  Leevon "Lee" DeCourley, 20, grew up in a rural area of Southeast Missouri, near the town of Arab.  He is now attending Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where his major in Mass Communications is also a part of the music program.  Leevon joined the group in July of 2008 but had helped them on numerous previous occasions.  Leevon plays the mandolin, guitar and bass.  He picks a fine Ozarkian-Monroe style of Mandolin for C.J. Lewandowski & The Men of the Week.  Leevon got his Bluegrass start playing with Southeast Missouri groups Janie Brown and The Chesnut Mountain Gang and Jeff Hovis and the Castor River Boys.  Leevon loves playing traditional Bluegrass the way it should be played.  His influences include "The Father of Bluegrass" Bill Monroe,  The Stanley Brothers, "The King of Bluegrass" Jimmy Martin, Reno and Smiley, J.D. Crowe and John Duffy.



Email C J

C.J. Lewandowski aka "Charlie Joe" & "Pee Wee"

  C.J. Lewandowski, 22, is the founding member and leader of "The Men of the Week".  He maintains the guitar spot with a driving rhythm, similar to Jimmy Martin.  He has been playing and singing ever since he has been able to talk.  He sings the "lonesome ol' songs" the way they should be sung.  Singing in Church with his Grandmother is where he learned to sing from his heart.  C.J. picked up the mandolin in June of 2001 and started to pick in the Monroe-Ozarkian mandolin style.  He was a founding partner of the now disbanded "Blue Generation", in which he founded with his childhood friend, Steven Lawson.  C.J. was a member of Jim Orchard & The Ozark Bluegrass boys in which he played mandolin for 3 years.  C.J. toured with the great David Davis & The Warrior River Boys, during the Summer of 2008, playing guitar in the group and learning a lot from a True Legend in Bluegrass, David Davis.  C.J. takes pride in tradition and loves to keep the flame of Ozark Bluegrass alive.  "The Men of the Week" has been a dream of his for a long time and he has worked hard to bring traditional Bluegrass to people all over the country with "MOTW".  His influences include Don Brown, Jimmy Martin, Larry Sparks, The Stanleys, Bill Monroe, Red Allen, Bobby Osborne, and many other traditional groups.



Email Steven

Steven Lawson aka "Slick"

Steven Lawson, 21, of House Springs, Missouri, joined the Men of the Week in June of 2009 taking over the banjo duties. His family is deeply rooted in Ozarkian Bluegrass music, which is a big reason why Steven & CJ have a love and respect for the music they play. Steven started picking at 13 years old after finding one of his Grandpa's banjoys under the bed. He is very much influenced by local banjo pickers, such as Norman Clark, Fr. Ed Richard, Connie Layton, Elvis Stout, and his Grandpa Udell Stout. He is a familiar with CJ Lewandowski since they founded a local traditioinal Bluegrass band, Blue Generation, in early 2003. Steven is excited to once again share the stage with CJ along with the rest of the MOTW gang. Steven has a great traditional banjo style that encompasses the likes of Earl Scruggs, JD Crowe, Terry Baucom, Jim Mills, and Ralph Stanley. Steven picked for Bluegrass Boy, Guy Stephenson & and the Winning Team and Open Range before joining MOTW. He is the proud father of a beautiful baby girl, Savannah Lee Lawson.

 



Email Andy

Andy Dye aka "A.P."

Andy Dye handles the onstage upright bass playing chores and sings tenor primarily, with lead parts of songs specifically selected to highlight his range.  Offstage you'll often find him joining in a jam on the guitar or mandolin.  It is his traditional bass style that the likes of George Shuffler, and the famous Nashville session player Ernie Newton, as well as his high tenor influenced by Bill Monroe, that has earned him his recognition.  This unique combination of playing low and singing high that has kept him busy as a Bluegrass entertainer appearing in 40 states and 3 Canadian Provinces since 1990.  Andy has regularly appeared with Josh Graves & Kenny Baker, Chubby Wise, Vern Young, and was a member of the Gillis Brothers for several years and appears on all of their Hay Holler recordings.  Andy, along with the MOTW fiddle player Gerald Jones, played in regionally famous band in the Midwest for 13 years. 
A.P. is interesting to observe on stage as he and his 1948 Kay Bass follow the choreography designed around the MOTW single microphone. Andy is married to Carla Greer of the identical twin sister bluegrass act "The Greers." They have 2 small children.