William "Bill" H. Mullin was born in 1947 at Red Bank and has lived most of his life in that area. Although a singer and guitar picker since his teens, Bill always had to earn a living at construction and woods-work. Then, for a number of years, he headed his own heavy equipment company on the Miramichi often taking men and machines to assist on construction projects as far away as the Rothesay and Saint John areas. For seven years, following closure of that business, he operated a vehicle repair and inspection station at Red Bank, using its office at night as a practice facility for a band, the Miramichi Valley Boys, he formed to play fundraisers, benefits and nursing homes, clubs and other music venues. Gradually the practices became long jam sessions with other local musicians and singers joining them and, as word spread, fans came to listen. When Bill had to close his vehicle repair facility for health reasons the jams continued, still growing and eventually he turned the entire building into Bill Mullin’s Country Music Opry and booked outside acts to perform with his band and regular weekly singers and musicians. These mushroomed into Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday happenings. In the meantime, Bill began hosting a country gospel radio show on 99.3 FM. (The River) Sundays at 7:05 a.m. on which he interviews NB and touring acts that perform live and he plays tapes and CDs by other N.B. artists. Bill has featured acts from across Canada as well as the US, Germany and Switzerland. Local legends and music personalities such as Ned Landry, Eldon and Ruth Barton, Jim and Audrey Chamberlain have also joined him. Two years ago, Bill founded The Miramichi Traditional Country Music Hall Of Fame and its inductee plaques and memorabilia are displayed in the spacious Opry building where Bill and his wife Betty are the hosts. It’s wheelchair accessible and its interior is alcohol, smoke and drug free. Bill has written many songs and has recorded them along with country and gospel favourites on seven cassettes and CDs. He, also, has appeared on Miramichi Folksong Festivals.
Winston Rees Winston Rees grew up on the banks of the Grand Lake in Cumberland Bay and was influenced at an early age by his uncles, the Phillips Brothers and their sister, his aunt Lorraine, who were early Rodeo label bluegrass recording stars. Musically gifted, he taught himself to play banjo and joined his uncles and aunt on tours, playing concerts from N.B. to Ontario and into the US. After a serious back injury, resulting from a fall, ended his daytime job as a carpenter, teaching music and playing with country, old-time, bluegrass and gospel bands became his main source of income. Over the years he has played countless concerts, dances, festivals, benefits and community events. Sometimes solo or with small groups of his own and stretches with such elite international radio and TV favourites as the Gospelaires with whom, as a former member, he was inducted into the New Brunswick Gospel Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also an original member of the Valley Jamboree cast playing banjo, mandolin and guitar and for 12 years backed such stars as Ivan Hicks, Allison Inch and Gordon Stobbe and sat in as a studio musician on many Prime Time Sound Studio recording sessions. During that time he formed his own concert act, The Winston Rees Family, with his songwriting, harmony singing wife, Helen and their daughters, Sherry and Heather, who sang and played guitar and bass. They recorded an exceptionally beautiful cassette You Sing For Me and appeared at festivals, concerts, fairs, wedding parties and were featured on ATV’s Up Home Tonight on their Maritime network. Winston has taught guitar, banjo, dobro to hundreds of students, and does acoustic instrument repairs for three music stores. He has built dobro guitars for several years that many East Coast musicians now play with pride. Winston uses his own unique no-note method of teaching guitar, banjo, dobro and mandolin and has written his own guitar instruction book. He is also part of the Southern Flavour Bluegrass Band, that has a devoted and ever growing following of fans.
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