BIOGRAPHY
I started my journey playing guitar in the early 1980's as a sixteen year old. I was a rocker - ha! The energy of rock-n-roll was infectious and resonated loudly with me! My Dad (the late Gene L. Hobbs) and I made a deal - he said "I'll let you get a guitar but only if you take lessons - and I'll pay for the lessons" WOW - no idle threat from either side. Soon after, a friend David Sewell and I made a trade; my 1966 Dodge Dart car for his electric Ovation Viper guitar and a Peavey Pacer amp! Then Dad took me to the Fort Henry Mall in Kingsport TN where I signed up for guitar lessons with Les Dotson (1948-2023), a local guitar teacher who had lived/toured all over. Les turned me on to everything - life - music- respect! He taught me from the start, and I spent my first 18 years playing finger-style guitar and gigging prior to embarking on the Harp Guitar journey!
Shortly after I started playing guitar, I discovered the Harp Guitar through a live performance of the late Michael Hedges at Red Rocks in CO. This would have been in the early 1980's - fast forward to 1998 when I saw the inimitable Stephen Bennett perform on his great grandfathers 1909 Dyer Harp Guitar (Big Momma) at a local coffee house (3rd Str. coffee house) in Roanoke, VA. It was then the validation bell started ringing loud and clear for me. Soon after this life changing moment I sold every guitar I had and purchased my first Harp Guitar, found for me by a dear friend, David Horton. It was a Dyer harp guitar made in 1917 by the Larson Brothers , a Style 7 which is modestly fancy. At the time I was discussing a harp guitar build with luthier Pete Howlett - the Larson harp guitar showed up and both he and I agreed it's always best to have an original so we canned our project. I didn't know much about the Larson Brothers at the time but all of that was about to change!!
A couple of decades later I am fortunate enough to have garnered praise from peers, rockstars, luthiers and dedicated music lovers such as yourself.
I am featured in a book on the Larson Brothers luthier artistry and another book, Building Stories One Guitar At A Time - The Story of Emerald Guitars by Stacy Blevins featuring the carbon fiber work of Alistair Hays' and his team at Emerald guitars in Ireland. Both are coffee table books w/ tons of info and great photos. I'm very honored to have been a part of each project!
I've been recording solo since 1990. Going through cycles, I managed to record a new CD every two years for a decade or so. I've recorded several CD's of harp guitar "only" music, most of which you can find on this site - just click on the above MUSIC icon to check out!
It's been quite the journey so far; I feel fortunate, in my small way of serendipity and look forward to creating my best body of work yet!
Peace, Love, Music! Stacy