Clifton Forge, VA (August 25, 2016) - Bill Cook & Friends return each year to “home ground” and the Masonic Amphitheatre Stage which is named in his honor to play a blue grass fundraiser for the Masonic Theatre Complex. This year all money raised will go to Amphitheatre maintenance. The third annual Amphitheatre Pie Baking Contest will also take place during the evening.
Bill Cook is a man of many talents who luckily has many talented bluegrass-playing friends. He also runs a successful tire wholesale business, he is a fan and promoter of bluegrass music and he used to own the property where the Masonic Amphitheatre now resides. All that changed in 2010 when he donated his land and building to the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation and took up residence at the former Sonoco Building near Interstate 64. This relocation was made possible by the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors, the Alleghany Foundation and Alleghany Highlands Economic Development Corporation.
On Sunday, September 11 at 6:00 pm Bill Cook & Friends will host the “Bill Cook & Friends Bluegrass Jammin’ Picnic and Pie Baking Contest on the Masonic Amphitheatre grounds. The event will include music by the band in addition to barbeque, and attendees are encouraged to bake a pie and enter the Pie Baking contest. Pie slices will be sold at the event, after the judging.
When Bill Cook vacated the property behind the Masonic Theatre, and the warehouse he once owned was deconstructed by the design/buildLAB students from Virginia Tech to use in the building of the Covington Farmer’s Market, the site revealed a perfectly useable concrete slab beside Smith Creek. The Masonic Theatre presented several fund raising events in 2011 on that location—a flea market and picnic with tents and catered food supplied by area restaurants. The entertainment for that picnic was supplied by Bill Cook and Friends when Bill returned to his former property to play for a Masonic Theatre fund-raiser. Bill Cook & Friends returned to that concrete slab four times to play for fund-raisers for the Masonic Theatre—with all proceeds from the event going to the “Save the Masonic” restoration campaign. In September of 2012, shortly after the Amphitheatre opened, Bill Cook was honored when he was told that the Amphitheatre stage would be named the “Bill Cook & Friends Stage”. The Historic Masonic Theatre is now a reality since reopening on July 1, 2016 and Bill Cook and Friends have lots to celebrate.
Bill nurtures the genre of bluegrass by welcoming talented musicians who love to play and perform once a year on July 4 at his Potts Creek farm. So when Bill is asked to perform by area organizations, he has a host of “friends” that he can call on to perform with him. Dr. David Crandall, one of Bill’s “friends” says that Bill Cook is the “center of the blue grass scene in Alleghany County. People like to come to play music with him and each other.”
John Hillert, Board member of Masonic Theatre Inc, says “It is an honor and privilege and a homecoming of sorts to welcome Bill and his friends to play on the Masonic Amphitheatre stage-his stage. This Amphitheatre was made possible in part by Bill’s generous spirit—and that spirit spills over into the music and musicians he encourages. It is a great story”
For the third year, a pie backing contest will also be a part of the event—last year, 16 pies were donated to the effort. The pies are judged and members of the audience are then invited and encouraged to purchase a slice and enjoy the music while munching on home-made pies. The entry tent will open at 5:00. Please bring your pie to the tent, complete an entry form and Amphitheatre volunteers will take care of the rest.
Bill Cook & Friends will perform at the Masonic Amphitheatre at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 11. Admission is a donation to Amphitheatre Repair and Maintenance.
To read more about the Historic Masonic Theatre 2016 season and Amphitheatre news, please visit historicmasonictheatre.com or the Historic Masonic Theatre’s Facebook page.
|  | Volunteers Wilma McClung and Dianne Ray slice pieces of donated home-made pies for the Bill Cook and Friends Picnic and Pie Baking Contest. All bakers are encouraged to donate a pie.
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