The Ol' Elkhorn Pickers Club
By Sam Dick
March 14, 2025 at 6:20 AM EDT
A truck pulling a trailer with signage for the Ol' Elkhorn Pickers Club pulls up to Cedarhurst Senior Living at Beaumont in Lexington.
Five members of the Southern gospel and country music band roll out trunks of musical gear to set up for an evening concert. They play for senior citizens at dozens of places each year.
Their free concerts started six years ago after a family member invited them to play at a Richmond nursing home. 53-year-old vocalist Jeff Brewer recalls, “We said, sure, we'll come up. And we did. Had a good time, and a couple other people said, well, hey, can you come here? Can you come there? Long story short is we're now over 45 facilities that we go to on a regular basis.”
The band plays for free because they consider it their ministry. They hail from Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church in Midway.
Bass guitar player David Rayburn says the band is actually playing for one. “God sees what we're doing, and He blesses us to no end. It's unbelievable how that he has just orchestrated everything that we do every place that we go. It's just been amazing to see what He does.”
In addition to Brewer and Rayburn, band members ranging in age from 53 to 71, include Joel Miller on keyboards, Ken King on the drums, and John Witt on lead guitar. Adriel Harrod is the sound engineer.
Brewer says they play music that the senior citizens can relate to, but they also take requests which can sometimes prove challenging.
“We were playing this past July, and we were in Versailles, and we would ask, does anyone have a song they want to hear? You know, your favorite song? And a guy raised his hand, and it was Hark the Herald Angels Sing. This was in July, and it was in July, hot as blue blazes, and we sang Hark the Herald Angel Sing. You know, because that's what he wanted to hear. So, we have a good time with that. You know, these guys can play anything.”
They make the concert an intimate, fun experience for their audience. Lead guitarist Witt will play and walk right near the first row of people.
Vocalist Brewer kneeled next to a senior citizen and held the microphone out so she could join in. “We have met so many wonderful people, people that work at these facilities, people that live at these facilities, and they actually treat us like rock stars. I mean, so we're not gonna lie, yeah. I mean, it's fun. It feels good. We play to the crowd, and they sing along.”
They also play at some churches. Brewer says they’ve entertained people across Kentucky and beyond. “We've been pretty much all around the state. I mean, we've been to Lexington, Richmond, Shelbyville, Winchester, and Renfro Valley. We actually did our first out of state thing last year. We went to Tennessee and did a couple facilities down there. And again, it's something we love to do. The Lord has just blessed it, you know, like I said, it just keeps growing and keeps growing. The only downside to it sometimes is we don't have enough time to get to these places as much as maybe we'd like to.”
For the senior citizens who enjoy the music, it’s a break in their routine and a step-down memory lane. Audience member Jack Ferguson grew up in the North Carolina mountains.
“I don't know the words and all that, but I recognize the rhythms because I grew up in the mountains in North Carolina, which is very similar to what you're hearing here. Sure, we had the Saturday night roundup in the city auditorium, and we had a lot of square dancers.”
Ferguson believes the music resonates deeply. “It's so important to the people who, some that live here, this is what they grew up with. And it's refreshing to have this interlude here and to hear this familiar music. And you notice they're dancing in their chairs, and they're swaying with the rhythm.”
That kind of appreciation is music to the ears of the Ol' Elkhorn Pickers Club. Ken King explains what they witness. “To be able to see it is, is something really that's unexplainable, the joy. You know, I've heard these guys say it, and I've said it, I don't know how many times we I believe we get more of a blessing out of it than they do, because to be able to sit from where we are and see their faces and watch them be able to relate to every song that we're singing, singing along to every word.”
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
Five members of the Southern gospel and country music band roll out trunks of musical gear to set up for an evening concert. They play for senior citizens at dozens of places each year.
Their free concerts started six years ago after a family member invited them to play at a Richmond nursing home. 53-year-old vocalist Jeff Brewer recalls, “We said, sure, we'll come up. And we did. Had a good time, and a couple other people said, well, hey, can you come here? Can you come there? Long story short is we're now over 45 facilities that we go to on a regular basis.”
The band plays for free because they consider it their ministry. They hail from Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church in Midway.
Bass guitar player David Rayburn says the band is actually playing for one. “God sees what we're doing, and He blesses us to no end. It's unbelievable how that he has just orchestrated everything that we do every place that we go. It's just been amazing to see what He does.”
In addition to Brewer and Rayburn, band members ranging in age from 53 to 71, include Joel Miller on keyboards, Ken King on the drums, and John Witt on lead guitar. Adriel Harrod is the sound engineer.
Brewer says they play music that the senior citizens can relate to, but they also take requests which can sometimes prove challenging.
“We were playing this past July, and we were in Versailles, and we would ask, does anyone have a song they want to hear? You know, your favorite song? And a guy raised his hand, and it was Hark the Herald Angels Sing. This was in July, and it was in July, hot as blue blazes, and we sang Hark the Herald Angel Sing. You know, because that's what he wanted to hear. So, we have a good time with that. You know, these guys can play anything.”
They make the concert an intimate, fun experience for their audience. Lead guitarist Witt will play and walk right near the first row of people.
Vocalist Brewer kneeled next to a senior citizen and held the microphone out so she could join in. “We have met so many wonderful people, people that work at these facilities, people that live at these facilities, and they actually treat us like rock stars. I mean, so we're not gonna lie, yeah. I mean, it's fun. It feels good. We play to the crowd, and they sing along.”
They also play at some churches. Brewer says they’ve entertained people across Kentucky and beyond. “We've been pretty much all around the state. I mean, we've been to Lexington, Richmond, Shelbyville, Winchester, and Renfro Valley. We actually did our first out of state thing last year. We went to Tennessee and did a couple facilities down there. And again, it's something we love to do. The Lord has just blessed it, you know, like I said, it just keeps growing and keeps growing. The only downside to it sometimes is we don't have enough time to get to these places as much as maybe we'd like to.”
For the senior citizens who enjoy the music, it’s a break in their routine and a step-down memory lane. Audience member Jack Ferguson grew up in the North Carolina mountains.
“I don't know the words and all that, but I recognize the rhythms because I grew up in the mountains in North Carolina, which is very similar to what you're hearing here. Sure, we had the Saturday night roundup in the city auditorium, and we had a lot of square dancers.”
Ferguson believes the music resonates deeply. “It's so important to the people who, some that live here, this is what they grew up with. And it's refreshing to have this interlude here and to hear this familiar music. And you notice they're dancing in their chairs, and they're swaying with the rhythm.”
That kind of appreciation is music to the ears of the Ol' Elkhorn Pickers Club. Ken King explains what they witness. “To be able to see it is, is something really that's unexplainable, the joy. You know, I've heard these guys say it, and I've said it, I don't know how many times we I believe we get more of a blessing out of it than they do, because to be able to sit from where we are and see their faces and watch them be able to relate to every song that we're singing, singing along to every word.”
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.