The Wayworn Travelers were a Cliff Hale traditional country music project.
Hale, a West Virginia native, last performed at Fountain with Alice Gerrard’s all-star band the Piedmont Melody Makers. He starred as Hank Williams in the Cape Fear Regional Theatre production of “Lost Highway,” and has also performed with the Longleaf Pine Nuts.
Bassist Craig Thompson, originally from Charlotte, has lived in Raleigh for over a decade. He has played with Hale in the Longleaf Pine Nuts and shared stages with Sam Bush, the Steep Canyon Rangers, the Randy Rogers Band, and Peter Rowan, among others.
Guitarist Tim Shearer, originally from England, has most recently been playing with the acclaimed honky-tonk band John Howie and the Rosewood Bluff.
Originally from Minnesota, fiddler Matt Haney began playing in old-time and bluegrass bands in the 1970s. While living in Buffalo, NY, he played with Mad Jack and the Black Label Boys and the Queen City Cut-ups. He has also played fiddle and steel guitar in several Cajun bands, including the BoneTones, the Tracy Schwarz Cajun Trio, Dr. Bubba’s Cajun Aces, the MSA Ramblers, and Carolina Gator Gumbo. He also plays with the Piney Woods Boys, who specialize in pre-bluegrass music, and he was featured at the 2015 Hoppin’ John Festival’s Fiddle Showcase.
