Meet The Boys

Brad started his musical life as a young man with the "Lifesavers Choir" from the Assemblies of God Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Brad spent many years touring and performing with music groups from SAGU, Waxahachie, TX including the internationally renowned "Harvesters", "Divine Touch" and "Free Spirit" .  In these groups, Brad sang tenor and was the founder of "Free Spirit".  These groups toured nationally with many large concert events including Jesus Rocky Mountain, Christ for the Nations, The Billy Graham Crusades, as well as hundreds of churches all across the country.  

Brad has opened for such acclaimed Christian Artists as Russ Taff, Dallas Holm & Praise, Andrus Blackwood and Company, The Archers, and many, many more.    Brad has also toured and sang background vocals as part of "The New Men of the West, for Western Music Hall of Fame Member, Rex Allen, Jr.; Johnny Western; Charlie Rich Jr.  Lacy J Dalton, and Bix Crary.  

Brad now sings and plays upright Bass for the Finley River Boys and served as member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Ozarks Bluegrass Society. 

Bill started playing guitar at age 8 with his family's band in Southern Illinois.   While in High School, he was the guitarist and lead singer for a Southern Illinois gospel quarter, "The Gospel Messengers" and spent his Senior Summer in the far northern reaches of Canada, providing the music for his church's sponsored Missionary.  

Bill then headed west to Arizona where he performed at many local Country & Western Clubs, winning several local talents shows, and soon after joined the internationally award winning "Spirit of Phoenix Chorus", the premier performing group of the Phoenix Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, competing on the international stage.   

During this time Bill met Western Music Hall of Fame Member, Rex Allen Jr. and became part of Rex's backup group, "the New Men of the West".  With this group, Bill toured and sang backup vocals for Rex, as well as fellow Western Music Hall of Famer, Johnny Western, Charlie Rich Jr. Bix Crary and Lacy J. Dalton.  Bill later relocated back to the Midwest, settling in the Heart of the Ozarks, Springfield, MO and currently sings and plays guitar for the Finley River Boys.  

When Brett was 4 years old, a "fiddle and a bow" topped his Christmas list.  In the years that followed, Brett's love for music intensified.  He began making public appearances when he was 6 years old and he recorded his first album.  At age 9 Brett was featured in the March/April edition of "The Ozark Mountaineer" magazine and at age 10 he won "2010 Most Outstanding Young Fiddler" at the American Heritage Music Festival in Grove, OK.

Brett's fiddling has been featured in numerous Missouri venues to include contests, festivals, county fairs, benefits, music shows, school functions, and church events.  He has made guest appearances on the Mickey Gilley Show and the Joey Riley Show in Branson and has performed the National Anthem to open MSU's Lady Bears and men's Bears basketball and baseball games, men's hockey and soccer games, as well as the Springfield Cardinals baseball games.

 Brett also played the National Anthem for the Missouri Tigers Men's Basketball game in Columbia MO and has performed at the White House in 2012 and 2014. Brett now plays fiddle, mandolin and provides vocals for the Finley River Boys. 

Phil grew up and spent most of his life in Sheridan, Arkansas in a family that loved Bluegrass.  He was heavily influenced at a young age by his Dad’s extensive album collection of all the original Bluegrass greats including Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and Flatt & Scruggs.  When he was 12 he picked up a banjo that his dad had brought home and the rest is history! The love of the banjo took root in him.  His grandmother recognized that he had talent and for his 13th birthday bought him the Gibson RB250 that he still plays today. 

His first opportunity to play with an actual band came along about that time when Jim Dickerson, the leader of the Dickerson Family Bluegrass gospel band, invited him to join them.  He played with them until his Dad, Bill McGarity, gathered up all his kids and formed The Blue Mt Bluegrass Band. Small festivals started booking them almost right away because it wasn’t everyday you saw such a talented group of young pickers.  As their popularity grew Bill McGarity started their own festival around 1976 in Sheridan and it grew in popularity for the next 15 years.  It was one of the larger and favorite festivals in Arkansas.  

In playing with the Blue Mountain Band, he had the opportunity to work with people like Marty Robbins, Lester Flatt, Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Don Reno, Keith Whitley, JD Crowe, The Lewis Family and many more. They continued to play on the road until in the late eighties when life, and work and babies took priority.  They still would lend their services when needed for church functions, fund raisers and occasional reunions and fairs.  

Phil has been an over the road truck driver for 49 years.  Through all those years the love of Bluegrass has never left him.  On August 1, 2025 he parked that 18-Wheeler and turned his attention back to his banjo, guitar and dobro.  

He along with his wife and four spoiled dogs have retired to their home in Buckville, Arkansas, in the Ouachita National forest.  He is 5 minutes from beautiful lake Ouachita so of course he spends his time with his great 2 children, 4 precious grandchildren and of course some fishing, picking and singing!