Bill Vernieu and Joanna Joseph both have unadorned singing styles that convey the simple-and-true, and make for great harmonies. On the other hand, Joanna's soothing tones contrast well with Bill's high-voltage energy. The result is an engaging combination.

Bill Vernieu is a powerhouse musician from Flagstaff, AZ with an intrinsic understanding of hard work, hard knocks, and hard lessons. He has long been fascinated by the Old West. Growing up in northern Utah, he was early influenced by the old-time cowboy sound of the Deseret String Band, as well as more contemporary singer-songwriters like John Prine and Robert Earl Keen. From these influences Bill Vernieu has developed a repertoire songs and poetry which he puts across with thoughtful punch.

Joanna Joseph is a born storyteller and it shows in the songs she sings. Pensive or sassy, wordy or plain, they'd better have a point. Joanna grew up in Montana, but didn't connect with cowboy music until she moved to the southern Utah desert in 1974. There, hearing those old Mormon cowboys sing as they fried cackleberries over dutch-oven campfires, Joanna found the sound of that sagebrush music finally taking root. Later, especially through the old-time music of the Reeltime Travelers, she tapped into her ancestral Appalachian roots as well.

Dim lights

Bill and Joanna have been singing together for 12 years. Theirs is a good blend of old-time, cowboy, bluegrass, and contemporary folk songs.

To book this duet, contact either one:

Joanna Joseph

435-899-9784

POB 410035

Big Water, UT 84741-2035

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Bill Vernieu

928-525-3001

980 East Pawnee

Flagstaff, AZ 86001

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