Wildfire's Frontman, Robert Hale Plans Upcoming Solo Album

Pinecastle plans to release a solo album from Wildfire frontman, Robert Hale, in early 2012. The album is a mix between grassy and more country leaning tunes. It features Alecia Nugent, Scott Vestal, Wayne Benson, Ernie Sykes, Steve Thomas, Randy Kohrs and Shawn Lane. The project includes four songs written by Hale and ends with a creative cover of Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke." The album was produced by Scott Vestal and Robert Hale and was recorded at Vestal's studio, Digital Underground.

Robert Hale from Jolo, WV, is the son of Clayton Hale, a McDowell and Wyoming county business man, a former Delegate to the Legislature, and perhaps most important to this story, a bluegrass bandleader and music promoter. Clayton's band played for time on a weekly television show on WOAY in the 1970's, and he promoted a successful festival in Tazewell, Virginia for several years where young Robert was exposed to some of the luminaries of the bluegrass business. Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Don Reno and others graced to stage at the elder Hale's events, but it was a mandolin player and band leader named Doyle Lawson that had the greatest effect on Robert's career.

He began playing the mandolin full time in his Dad's band at the ripe old age of nine. At that age, most young boys dream of becoming fireman, FBI agents or football stars, but Robert knew from the start he wanted bluegrass music to become his career. Since that time, he has worked for two of the masters of bluegrass music, J.D. Crowe and Eddie & Martha Adcock, and was asked by Dolly Parton to record with her on two projects, "Halos & Horns" & "For God & Country".

Robert has now become a gifted musician, equally at home on mandolin, guitar, banjo or just about anything with strings. He plays a variety of styles ranging from country to bluegrass to rock & roll.