Mack Bailey Bio: You can tell a lot about singer songwriter Mack Bailey by the musical company he keeps. Mack has been hailed as “the next great singer in folk music” by no less an authority than Glenn Yarbrough, the original tenor in the fabulous world-renowned folk trio, The Limeliters. Mack’s career came full circle when in 2004 he was asked to be the newest tenor in The Limeliters, with whom he now performs around the country. Using John Denver’s music, Mack taught himself to play the guitar and John’s example taught him how to sing a song. It was a thrill for Mack when he had the privilege of trading verses to “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” with Denver in front of 9000 people shortly before John’s death. Today, the Limeliters and John Denver continue to play an active role in Mack’s professional life, even as he pursues his successful solo career. Mack has caught the attention of national folk music audiences with not only his Limeliters performances, but also with his prominent role in the nationally touring show “A Musical Tribute to John Denver” with many of John’s former band members and production crew. Several of Denver’s former band members have played on Mack’s albums, including Chris Nole, Pete Huttlinger, Jim Horn, and Bill Danoff. Other music royalty has joined him as well: Mary Chapin Carpenter sang on his first album, which was produced by Bill Danoff of “Country Roads” and “Afternoon Delight” fame, and the Jordanaires contributed soulful background vocals on a recent album, Why I’m Here. And Denver’s long-time producer, Kris O’Connor, produced Mack’s Through Your Eyes album. For almost two decades, Mack has been a principle member of the reunited 60s group, The Hard Travelers, with whom he’s recorded five albums. He has a rich history of major concert appearances having performed with or shared the stage as opener with a long list of folk and country stars, confirming that indeed, Mack keeps very good musical company. Mack was awarded for his excellence with a WAMMIE for Best Traditional Folk Performer in 1992, and his song “High Gear” has been featured on NPR’s popular Car Talk. Fans flock to hear Mack’s performances, as is evidenced by the tours he has led to Ireland. In 2004 over 45 fans joined Mack for a musical and sightseeing tour of Ireland, and in 2005 nearly 70 people signed up for the excursion. Originally hailing from the small town of Troy, North Carolina, Mack attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and graduated with a degree in music performance. Besides writing, performing solo and in his two groups, and recording seven solo albums, Mack is musically active in several medical and environmental causes, including Maryland Therapeutic Riding, The Cystic Fibrosis foundation, The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, and The Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Mack also performs regularly in nursing homes and Alzheimer’s units playing group concerts and individual outreach, and he enjoys working with school students on songwriting in their creative writing classes.