Bob Soltis and Allen Bennett

Bob Soltis just had his 80th birthday. It was around 1941 when his family finally got electricity and were able to listen to the Grand Ole Opry on the radio. “When I heard Roy Acuff, I thought, hey, I could do that. Roy Acuff sang to the common people. That man set me in the right.” When he was 13 his older brother brought home a guitar and Bob taught himself to play. When Bob talks about music he doesn’t discuss technique. “Other people, they play notes and chords. I just play what sounds good, “ he said with a playful grin. “You’ve got to connect with people. So much modern music doesn’t have substance. It doesn’t give you anything to take home.” Bob’s repertoire hasn’t changed much since he was a teen. He specializes in old-time country gospel tunes and has been playing at Bethel Presbyterian Church near Cranesville his entire adult life. Bethel was where he met Allen Bennett. Allen had played trumpet in the school band and in a blues and rock band after college. At age 30 he taught himself the banjo. Bob and Allen have been playing together for 28 years. Both mark the creation of their duo as a turning point. Their friendship, complimentary instrumentation, and shared conviction in God made them both stronger musicians. Consistently their audiences are profoundly touched by their reverent humility and their old-time humor. They play at Bethel and for other sacred events, as well as selected secular venues, such as the Church on the Hill Coffeehouse in Wellsburg. In the past six years both men have started to compose their own songs, all simple and solid, giving proof that old-time hymns run through their veins. They recently recorded an album, a mix of the original and traditional, that captures the feel of a live performance.

Contact Museum Folk Art Coordinator, Kelly Armor for more information.