The band began 13 years ago as a hillbilly music jam session in the garden behind Pappy and Harriet’s Palace, an historic roadhouse in Pioneertown, CA. Crowds began to gather around to hear the mountain-style harmonies and old-time tunes. The management of Pappy and Harriet’s began coming out to listen and soon asked the jammers to come in and play inside for the restaurant crowd. Within a few months, they were joined by Pioneertown resident Johnny Ray Martin on the mountain-style autoharp (an instrument you seldom hear outside of Appalachia), and premier fiddler Bobby Furgo (from the Leonard Cohen band). The group was rounded out when Steve and Darlene’s son, Damian Lester, known around the farm as ‘Dooley’, joined the band on acoustic bass, and brilliant, soft-spoken Charlie Joe Wallace added his talents on dobro and vocals, along with Banjo Bob Hamilton. Shadow Mountain also often features special guests, depending on which musical friends are in town at the time.


Steve Lester (Guitar/Vocals)

Johnny Ray Martin (Autoharp/Vocals)
Damian Lester (Acoustic Bass/Vocals)

Bobby Furgo (Fiddle)
Bob Hamilton (Banjo)
Charlie Joe Wallace (Dobro/Vocals)