Photos of Donal Baylor

People
Instruments

Learning to play with Andy on our front terrace at Healesville circa 1977 (my first good guitar - a 1974 Martin 000-28 bought on the proceeds of a summer of hay carting, Andy playing his old Martin D-18).

1982 and full of youth

The Dancehall Racketeers playing in the main street at Tamworth 1984. We played anywhere and everywhere. We were in a busking competition and were beaten into second by a fellow playing the saw. That's showbiz!

The Dancehall Racketeers at the Port Fairy Folk Festival 1984

A Dancehall Racketeers publicity shot (1987).

Recording mid 1980's

The LP album cover from our 1986 self titled release (you might find it at a garage sale)

Mid 80s

Playing with Slim Dusty in the Solomon Islands. It was a concert to raise money after a cyclone had devastated the area. I found out then what it might have been like to be in the Beatles.

A television appearance with Slim (1986)

With Slim and Gordon Parsons (the author of 'A Pub with No Beer') in 1988

In costume ready for one of the eight shows a week of 'Big River' (1989). This was the Australian production of a Broadway play written by Roger Miller about the story of Huckleberry Finn

Playing in the 1990 Grand Master Fiddle Contest in Nashville Tennessee. Accompanying me is Mike Henderson (with his faithful guide dog) and Wild Bill Lyell - a legend in the fiddle scene

A great thrill on that trip was to meet and learn from some great musicians. Here's Vassar Clements and he was the nicest person you could hope to meet.

This is Bill Monroe's restored childhood house in Rosine, Kentucky. It is almost a spiritual experience to sit on his porch and play some of his great fiddle compositions.

I know you should never compare musicians, but Kenny Baker is the greatest fiddler of them all! I was lucky enough to meet him at a festival in Pennsylvania in 2003 and he was very gracious and interested to talk fiddle.

The reunion of the Baylor Brothers (2004)

Here is Bluegrass Parkway playing at the Blue Grass Sportsmen's League Club near Nicholasville, Kentucky (2005). After this gig, we were all made Kentucky Colonels.

The current line-up of Bluegrass Parkway. Note the authentic microphone!