User:Jennalvsbks/Bonfire Way

Bonfire Way Bonfire Way is a cover band originated from Greene County, TN that was formed by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Michael Guinn, and lead vocalist and banjo player, Chad Hinkle, along with former bassist, Shane Morgan all of Mosheim TN. Bonfire Way considers them selves to be a mixture of four different musical styles that creates a hybrid of outlaw country, blues, rock and bluegrass. Bonfire Way’s combination of styles is one of its most notable differences from other bands. That, and the way they play their music. “It’s like taking 70’s rockers like Pink Floyd, Lynard Skynard and the Eatles, then mixing in a little banjo”, says banjo player, Chad Hinkle. In Tennessee they are know as the band with the banjo.

The name of the band “Bonfire Way” came from lead vocalist and banjo player’s, Chad Hinkle’s, uncle Jimmy. Hinkle, Guinn, and Morgan were at a hog roast/camping weekend party at Hinkle’s house one night and they were sitting by the bonfire playing music. They were working on the song “Wurlitzer Prize” by Waylon Jennings. Uncle Jimmy told them they were playing it wrong and played it for them. So the guys went to playing it again, and still not like Jimmy said. Jimmy asked, “guys, do you want to play it the right way or the damn bonfire way?” The guys decided they liked playing the “Bonfire Way” just fine and that’s how they’ve decided to keep on playing.

After only two month of playing shows they were asked to open for up-coming Nashville recording artist, Megan Mullins, in May 2009 in Bristol, TN at Steel Creek Park. Then in July of 2009 they opened up for Nashville Recording artist Ronnie McDowell in Morristown TN at they annual fourth of July celebration. Later that year in October 2009, Bonfire Way opened up for Nashville recording group, The Kentucky Headhunter in Delano, TN. In April of 2010, Bonfire Way opened up for Nashville recording group, Emma King and the Heartsets in Morristown, TN. July 2010 the band opened for Nashville Recording Artist, Aaron Tippon.

Bonfire Way has been keeping East Tennessee on it’s feet. Each band member has a style of their own that comes together perfectly and gives them such a unique style. They are a band full of great musicians and vocalist. They’ve been making a great name for them selves and people are recognizing their logo and name and giving great reviews. They have great lead vocals, awesome lead and rhythm guitar, a fast-picking banjo player, and one-or-a-king bass player and a top-rate professional drummer.

HISTORY

Bonfire Way originally came about when a couple of friends who had known each other since elementary school got together about ten years after graduating and decided to start playing music together.

At the beginning the group consisted of high school buddies, Chad Hinkle and Michael Guinn who grew up next door to each other from the time they were four years old until adulthood. Michael Guinn began playing the guitar in the seventh grade and performed as the lead singer of a cover heavy metal band during his high school years. Chad Hinkle had never learned to play a musical instrument until his late twenties. He began teaching himself how to play the guitar and meeting up with his high school friends, Michael Guinn and Nathan Robinette for a few lessons. Three months after buying and learning the guitar, Chad decided he also wanted to play the banjo. His mother bought him his first banjo for his twenty-eighth birthday in March of 2007. It was a “Johnson” from the local music store in Greeneville, TN named “Gosnells Music”. Chad had trouble finding anyone in the are to give him banjo lessons. He took two lessons from a guy an hour away from home and one lesson from another guy out of town. After that, he taught himself what he knows. Instead of playing just bluegrass on the banjo, he learned to play the music he like: country, rock, and blues. Chad then wanted to play the bass guitar. His wife, Jennifer McGinnis-Hinkle, bought him a “Peavy” Bass guitar in January of 2009. Chad was teaching himself to play the bass and called on family member who had been playing bass for over 45 year, Bubby Solomon. Bubby would later become the new and current bass player for Bonfire Way in November of 2009. Bubby taught Chad how to the bass. A couple of months later his wife, Jennifer, also bought him a mandolin which he learned to play. Chad’s uncle Jimmy gave him an old German fiddle that year also and showed Chad how to play a few songs on it.

When the summer of 2007 rolled around, Chad and Michael met up with another friend form school, Shane Morgan. Shane played the bass originally for Bonfire Way but later left the band for personal reasons and with mutual agreement. Shane played with Bonfire Way in performances from March of 2009 until November 2009. Shane had started out playing bluegrass music when he was twelve. Shane also had played heavy metal music during his teen years and toured with a gospel band his family had for several years.

That summer Chad, Michael, and Shane like to sit around the camp fires and bonfires on the Nolichucky River and Lick Creek Bottoms in Greene County, TN and pick music. Their longtime friend, Nathan Robinette would join them sometimes with the Mandolin. Another long-time friend of many years,Walt Cook, starting coming and playing rhythm guitar with them.

During the summer of 2007, Chad, Michael, Shane, and Walt picked together and learned songs they all liked, ranging from outlaw country, rock, blues and the banjo favorite-bluegrass. The owner of the Fret Store, in Morristown TN, Darrell Williams, had became aquinted first with Chad and Jennifer when Jennifer went into purchase her first new guitar after being taught by her husband. This was in June of 2007. Michael Guinn then came to the Fret store to purchase his first brand new guitar. Then, Nathan Robinette purchased his Mandolin from the Fret Store. Darrell and the Hinkle’s became friends and had told Darrell about this band Chad and his friends were getting together. Darrell is also the director of the Downtown Morristown Association. He asked Chad if his band would like to play that month at a Main Street festival Morristown was having. It was free show, but it gave them an opportunity to perform at a public event. This was technically the first show performed as “Bonfire Way”, but they weren’t yet a complete band. Jennifer has been practicing with them at the river and on the creek banks and she was asked if she wanted to play with them downtown in Morristown and she accepted. “I wasn’t really that great”, she says, “Chad had only taught me to play a few month before, but I loved playing. I had to follow Michael or Walt’s fingers that whole show to know what chords to play. We loved playing that show, though.” Nathan Robinette’s, father and a family friend of the guys, David Robinette, gave the guys their first sound equipment he had left over from his band days. To this day, they still use most of this original equipment although newer and louder things have been added to their system. But, with this starter equipment David gave them, that night after their first performance in Morristown, they got a feel of what was to come. That night, they did their second show for the day at a private party for one of Chad’s cousins. They played on his front porch for hours. The band has since performed two shows a day many times and even three shows in one day in three different town. The owner of the music stores in Morristown and Greeneville both call Bonfire Way the hardest working band around.

After these first two shows, Bonfire Way continued practicing in Shane’s basement. Nathan practiced with them many times, but a commitment to the band wasn’t made. As with most bands, the band line-up has changed faces many times. Chad and Michael has remained at the faces and voices of Bonfire Way. Walt Cook left Bonfire Way and another classmate from high school was called in. Justin Renner from Mohawk, TN, also in Greene County, taught himself to play guitar piano and the bass guitar in his teen years. Just was very versatile in the music he could play and fit with Bonfire Way’s versatile song list. He came on with Bonfire Way in October 2007. and a couple of weeks later the band performed at a community yard sale event at the ole Gilbreath School House in Mosheim, TN. The band decided to find a drummer to make the band complete. Justin knew a guy from Mohawk named Travis Rogers. Travis was already playing in a local band with his father called “Southern Strangers”. Travis had been playing with them since his teenage years. Travis began practicing with Bonfire Way in late November 2007. The band, now complete with five members, performed at another private party for one of Chad’s aunts. In late 2008 a new bar in Greene County has just opened called “The Cross-Eyed Cricket”. The band member had been going there frequently and checking out the bands performing there on the weekends and had mentioned that they also, had a band. Shane booked Bonfire Way’s first “PAID” performance for March 14, 2009 at The Cross-Eyed Cricket. After a year of practicing in the basement and a couple of shows for family, Bonfire Way were making their debut on the band cicuit. This is the show they consider their first, the start of Bonfire Way hitting Greene County. Chad’s Wife, Jennifer designed a logo for the band. A One Way street sign saying Bonfire Way in the white arrow, rather than one way, and a bonfire lit beneath the arrow on the sign. She made flyers to hang up all over Greene County a month prior to their first show and made the guys each 25 handouts to pass out to family and friends. She set them up a myspace page, and email, and typed up a set list. They guys practived two or more times a week leading up to this first show. On March 14th, 2009, The Cross-Eyed Cricket was packed! The show went great, the crowd loved them and the small dancing area in front of the band stayed full all night long. The Cross- Eyed Cricket re-booked them again for the next month. Bonfire Way was on it’s Way!

Bonire Way was playing music not heard from other bands. And they were playing it with a banjo. The were rocking out on Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Stevie Ray Vaught, Jimi Hendrix, Lynard Skynard, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Kentucky Headhunters, Sublime, 3 Doors down, Doobie Brothers, Hank Williams Jr, The Rolling Stones, Marshall Tucker Band, Pearl Jam, Green Day, The Cars, The Doors, and More. Even Bluegrass tunes. It was such a mix of music, they were playing something for everyone.

Jennifer also wanted her husband’s band to have some T-shirts. After calling and checking the pricing, she realized it was too much for them to afford. So, she decided to find Bonfire Way some sponsors. First she went to their friend, Darrel, at the Fret Store, then the Gosnells, a store called Backstage Gifts in Morristown that held several music events each year. She went to the establishment that gave Bonfire Way their first show, The Cross-Eyed Cricket. Then to the restaurant of one of the workers at The Cross-Eyed Cricket, called Bunns on the Runn, then to the local mostorclycle shop in Mosheim called Clubhouse Custom Clyles. And another restaurant owned by a friend of the family called Amy’s Kitchen. Then she went to three other bar establishiments in Greeneville, got a sponsorship and booked a show. They were The Hyperion, The Rainbow, and Fat Fridays. She had the money for the first Bonfire Way T-shirts and even got a sponsorship from the ones making the T-shirts, Xpressions Marquee Signs. She spent several evenings at Xpressions designs the band’s T-shirst. By the time Bonfire Way’s second performance came around on April 3, 2009, she hand band T-shirts for the members and one each for their wives. She took nineteen pre-paid orders for T-shirst that night.

Again, the show was packed that night and the dance floor full. The Bonfire Way fan base was established. The Rainbow re-booked. In April of 2009, after only two shows, the bookings started coming in. Jennifer became Bonfire Way’s manager. Their original drummer, Travis Rogers, had other priority to fill with his other band. Bonfire Way was without a drummer and had shows booked months ahead. The needed a drummer soon. They had a show in two days. Chad had practiced with another group of musicians a few weeks before. Lead Guitarist, Jim Tipton, who one come on to fill in on lead with the guys later on. Bubby Solomon, the future Bass guitar player and Randy Cotner, the soon-to-drummer for Bonfire Way. Chad called around to find Randy’s phone number and reached him. Randy Cotner was formerly form Greene County, but currently resides in Morristown, TN. He was only forty-five but had been playing drums for forty years. He’d played with a variety of band of various genres of music including, jazz, country, rock, and gospel. He’d played at Dollywood in Sevierville, TN and had even played drums for Dolly Parton, herself. He was perfect for Bonfire Way. Randy was contacted by Chad on a Wednesday, Randy practiced with the band on Thursday, and played wit them the next tow nights. “It was like he’d been playing for us for years.” Said Chad Hinkle.

And then their first performance at The Hyperion in Greeneville came on April 25, 2009 just after Randy Cotner joined Bonfire Way. . This was the beginning of a great friendship and association with The Hyperion owners Wilma and Andrew.

At the first of May 2009, Jennifer was contacted by Darlene Cole in Bristol, TN. Bonfire Way was asked to be the opening act for up-coming Nashville recording artist, Megan Mullins at Steele Creek Park in Bristol. Megan Mullins was signed with Broken Bow records at the time and had videos on CMT such as “Long Past Gone” and “Aint What it used to be”.