Pickin' Roots takes the Lenawee County Fair band shell stage tonight at 7 p.m.

ADRIAN — For those who love traditional country music, Pickin’ Roots will be on hand at the Lenawee County Fair tonight playing everything from Hank Williams Sr. to Garth Brooks.

Pickin’ Roots takes the Lenawee County Fair bandshell stage at 7 p.m. Friday, July 28.

When people come to see Pickin’ Roots, they can expect to hear some slow county ballads that will bring a tear to the eye, some songs that will remind them of the good old days and some high-energy numbers to get their feet moving.

“We try to take our audience on a journey back in time — back to the days of George, Hank and many more county legends,” Pickin’ Roots lead vocalist and founder Larry Rothman said. “We are a band you can bring your whole family to listen to. Some of our biggest fans are young kids who love to dance and older folks who love the classics.”

Rothman formed the band in 2014 because of his love for traditional country music. Prior to this band, Rothman played in bar bands in the early 1990s, but soon found that lifestyle conflicted with his newfound Christian faith.

“I felt God saying, ‘Give up music.’ Looking back, I believe, he said, be willing to give up music and pursue Him, so I did for years,” Rothman said. “Around 2010, I felt it was time to start singing again, so I did some solo stuff and then in 2014 we officially became a band.”

The band decided on the name Pickin’ Roots because they play the roots of county music.

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For those who enjoy the sounds of Merle Haggard, Conway Twitty, George Strait and Alan Jackson, it is a sure bet they will enjoy Pickin’ Roots.

From George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today” to “Ain't Going Down (‘Til The Sun Comes Up)” by Garth Brooks, the band is as authentic as it can be while still offering a live concert feel.

A few years ago, Pickin’ Roots put out a CD of classic cover songs and released an original song called “Grandad’s Farmall,” which is popular with the band’s friends who love tractors.

The band has changed members over the years. The original band was made up of Beau Knipp, Tony Ramirez, Mary Ivers, James Dodd, and Rothman’s wife, Katie Rothman. The band soon added Johnny Z as its drummer; Bill, a steel guitar player; and Rothman’s daughter, Taylor.

Ken Thompson joined the band as second lead player, but in 2020 the band sadly lost Thompson to COVID-19. Pickin’ Roots stopped playing for about a year, but in 2022 got back together and started practicing.

“I like to refer to us as ‘Pickin’ Roots 2.0’ because we now have some different musicians. My daughter no longer plays with the group. She joined the Army and moved away, and my wife no longer plays on stage but helps us out behind the scenes as our booking agent,” Rothman said.

Pickin’ Roots' current members are James Dodd of Onsted on rhythm guitar and vocals, Kevin Fix of Newport on steel guitar, Joe Weyan of Dundee on drums, Heath Bathgate of Monroe on bass, Jeff Pierce of Toledo on lead guitar and Rothman of Clinton/Tecumseh on lead vocals.

“It is a great group of guys with lots of experience who like to have fun,” Rothman said. “We take our friends on a trip down memory lane and help create new ones in the process. Each one of our band members feels blessed to be able to play music and getting to play it for people who enjoy it is icing on the cake.”

Pickin’ Roots also plays at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the Monroe County Fair in the entertainment tent. For more information on Pickin’ Roots, visit pickinroots.com or the band’s Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Pickin' Roots plays at Lenawee County Fair tonight at 7 p.m.