Lions Eye Clinic, Three on a String teaming up for concert at Pitman Theatre on June 17

J.J. Hicks, The Gadsden Times
·2 min read
Three on a String has released nine studio albums and been inducted into the Alabama Music, Alabama Bluegrass and Birmingham Record Collectors halls of fame.
Three on a String has released nine studio albums and been inducted into the Alabama Music, Alabama Bluegrass and Birmingham Record Collectors halls of fame.

The Joel W. Helms Lions Eye Clinic and long-tenured bluegrass band Three on a String are teaming up for a concert in Gadsden.

More: GSO to play with Three On A String

More: Three on a String returns to Gadsden for holiday concert

More: SEEN ON SCENE: Talk Derby to Me at Pitman Theatre

The event will be held June 17 at the Pitman Theatre at 629 Broad Str.. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Light concessions will be sold.

Three on a String, comprised of multi-instrumentalist Bobby Horton (who away from the group has provided music for the soundtracks to Ken Burns' PBS documentaries); guitarist Jerry Ryan and his son, Brad, who plays fiddle, bass and guitar; and a rotating cast of bassists over the years (the current one being Andy Meginniss) celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.

The band first played together at Horse Pens 40 in Steele. The group called the Lowenbrau Haus in Homewood its regular home for two decades until the establishment shut down.

From there, Three on a String spent a year at the Cadillac Café in the Southside community in Birmingham before returning to Homewood. The group routinely acts as ambassadors for the city of Birmingham and has played for U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Over its career, Three on a String has released nine studio albums and been inducted into the Alabama Music, Alabama Bluegrass and Birmingham Record Collectors halls of fame.

Tickets currently are on sale and can be purchased at the Gadsden Lions Club's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GADSDENLIONSCLUB/. You can call 205-531-5992 or visit Downtown Gadsden Inc., Alfa Insurance in Glencoe, Dusty Things in Gadsden, Professional Opticians of Gadsden or VisionAmerica of Gadsden to buy tickets.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Helms Lions Eye Clinic, a nonprofit organization that provides free eye exams and low-cost eyeglasses to medically indigent citizens of Etowah County. The clinic is located at 234 S. College St. in Gadsden.

For more information on Three on a String, visit the band's website at https://www.threeonastring.com/ or its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/threeonastring.

J.J. Hicks is a news reporter at The Gadsden Times. He can be reached at jhicks1@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Three on a String returns to Gadsden for June 17 concert