This just in ...

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Street musicians are such a staple of Asheville's cultural life that a sculpture dedicated to buskers is on display in the downtown.

But the popular acoustic scene has become too electrified for my tastes as some players have added amplification to their acts.

Read all about it in this month's Random Notes blog.

​I had a great time performing at the WNC Bigfoot Festival on Saturday.

People really responded to the music and wanted me to pose for pictures.

I'm playing my regular gig Saturday, Sept. 23,  at the Marion Tailgate Market in downtown Marion, NC.

The show starts at 10 a.m. and I perform until the market closes at 2 p.m. 

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I had a chance to play a different instrument the other day at my weekly Marion Ukulele Society Jam.

My pal Bob Frisbee loaned me his washboard for a song.

It was the first time I played the rhythm instrument and it was a lot of fun.

I've posted a new video of one of my older songs.

"Love is Weapon of Mass Destruction" appeared on my first CD several years ago. I think this video puts a fresh spin on it.

I recently spend the lunch hour enjoying the great outdoors and playing some tunes at the Marion Greenway.

I had a chance to play some love songs on Valentine's Day this year.

The afternoon performance was at Ingenious Coffee Roasters in downtown Marion.

Accompanied by my pal Chris Pike on bass, I performed recently at the Back 40 in Nebo, NC. The Eclectic Electric Exposition featured several bands and solo acts and was a great time.

The White Horse  in Black Mountain, NC recently restarted  its popular open mic.

It was a fantastic night that showcased a diverse roster of musical talents. I played a couple of my original songs as well as a tribute tune by the late great John Prine.

A big time

You never know who you're going to run into on State Street at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.

Big Foot wandered up while I was playing and I had to perform my original song "Big Foot is Real to Me" for him.

He appeared to enjoy it and even did a little dancing.

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I enjoyed playing a set during a New Year's Eve benefit concert at the Crooked Door Coffee House. 

I was among several acts showcasing their original music and other talents to help usher in the new year.
That year we even had a young magician join the variety of entertainers who donated their talents. 

​The event also raised a respectable amount of money for hurricane relief efforts.

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     I recently had a song chosen by the Nashville Songwriter's Association International (NSAI) for consideration to be presented at the "Pitch to Publisher" luncheon in February. The song is a work in progress that I submitted for evaluation to the NSAI. 
    Most of the stuff I write doesn't mesh with the requirements of the Nashville hit machine, but it's nice to get some recognition of my songwriting skills from Music City once in a while.

For six months some of my new original songs have been recognized by Nashville Songwriter's Association International (NSAI). The NSAI song evaluators consider me as one of the writers who are on the rise for "their unique and promising writing skills." This month I was the only writer in the Carolinas to be recognized. It's nice to get a little positive feedback from the big dogs in Nashville, Tenn.

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Check out my  Bigfoot Troubadour Facebook page here.

And you can watch my Bigfoot video here.

I performed a couple of sets at the Abbey Road Tavern & Grill when I was over near Raleigh, NC a while back.

It was a cool mid-week show where I was able to showcase my own songs as well as a few cover tunes.

This original artwork was created by my pal John Gaylen Liberatore.

Music video

In honor of the recent Big Foot Festival in Marion, NC, I've written a  song and posted a  music video. To see it go to my Videos page. The illustration on the left is by my friend John Gaylen Liberatore.

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I had an opportunity to perform some of my original songs at the ABSPD Institute 2017 held at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

You can see a little bit of that performance on my Video page.

I finally got a chance to pick with Doc Watson. To see my tribute to the guitar master go the Random Notes Blog tab and read all about it in the January 2015 post.

Go ahead, put me in the movies.

A while back at my St. Cloud (FL) High School Reunion I was blown away by what my classmates/friends did for me. They presented a "Richie Valentine" embroidered bag and towel to me. What a great bunch of guys and gals.

Note: The bags were courtesy of Dream Weavers Custom Embroidery from Tavares, FL. For more more information call (352) 343-6

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Welcome to Rockacana

“Rockacana.” is as close as I can come to defining my musical genre, a compelling fusion of funky Americana  folk and rock influences.

Check out my music page to hear samples of original tunes.

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