ALAMOSA — Society Hall, the performance space, concert hall and community gathering place at 400 Ross Ave. in Alamosa, is proud to welcome regional favorite Bill Hearne back to Alamosa for a concert celebrating the release of his new CD “Where Lights Are Low”, Saturday, April 7th at 7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Bill will perform as a trio, with his long-time side man Zeke Severson on string bass, and Don Richmond on mandolin, fiddle, and pedal steel. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and are available at the Green Spot in Alamosa or online at www.societyhall.org.

Bill’s new album fulfills a dream of his – to record a project honoring and featuring music Bill grew up on -  old classic country music of the 50’s and 60’s, mostly from the Bakersfield honky-tonk tradition of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. The CD, recorded at Alamosa’s Howlin’ Dog Records, features numerous guest artists from around the country, including Johnny Cash’s piano man Earl Poole Ball, as well as legendary pedal steel artists such as Jaydee Maness and Lloyd Maines.

Bill is no stranger to the San Luis Valley, having performed in the area many times over the years, from way back at the Sunshine Festival in the 1970s as well as numerous shows in area clubs and concert halls.

Bill began performing in Austin, Texas in the late 1960s, where he met his wife Bonnie and began performing as Bill and Bonnie Hearne, achieving national recognition as well as a near legendary reputation among fellow musicians such as Nancy Griffith, Lyle Lovett, and Jerry Jeff Walker, all of whom have appeared on Bill’s recordings. Bonnie retired from active performing in 2003 due to health issues, and passed away this year, but Bill has continued to perform solo, with his trio, and in other band configurations.

Bill is widely known for his amazing flat-picking acoustic guitar style, using a cross-picking technique that combines accompaniment chords, rhythm, and lead runs simultaneously, all with one single pick, as well as his husky baritone and his gift of song interpretation.

Richmond also credits Hearne as being a profound influence on his own music, saying, “Back in the 70’s I used to watch Bill and Bonnie play in Red River, New Mexico, at their house gig at the Alpine, whenever I was in the area, and I never left there feeling anything but good. I really feel like they taught me what live music was supposed to do, and how it was supposed to make you feel.”

The Society Hall board, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a place for community celebrations of all kinds, invites everyone to join them for a wonderful night of country-folk-Americana music with Bill Hearne and his trio, with special guest Don Richmond, at Society Hall, at the corner of 4th Street and Ross Avenue in Alamosa, Saturday, April 7th at 7:30 pm.