Buddy Merriam & Back Roads

Buddy Merriam (mandolin)  formed Buddy Merriam and Back Roads in 1980 out of his love and respect for traditional Bluegrass music.  He became close friends with the Father of Bluegrass music, Bill Monroe and got to learn and eventually perform with him.  Buddy and Back Roads have performed at  the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the BLUEGRASS MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME and Country Music's Fan Fair in Nashville.  The group has also played at most of the Northeast Bluegrass Festivals and Buddy  hosts the Blue Grass Time radio show on WUSB 90.1 FM in Stony Brook,NY Wed. nights.

Ernie Sykes (bass) Started his professional career at age 17,with his dad's band, The Sykes Boys, which also included Buddy Merriam. Ernie has worked with such greats as Don Stover, The Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Don Reno and Bill Monroe.  In 1999, he was featured on three movie soundtracks, and was honored with a Grammy citation for participating on a recording with Marty Stuart and Earl Scruggs.  In 2001 Ernie was called to The Cayman Islands to help record an album of island music.

Gary Oleyar (fiddle) Played Broadway shows for years, Best Little Whorehouse, Pump Boys and Dinettes, Big River, Evita, Woman of the Year, and  many others, He was a studio musician for years in Nashville and  recorded with Marty Stuart, Paul Leim, Eddie Bayers, Bruce Bouton and many others.

 Gary  made many appearances on TV with the likes of Eddie Raven, Pam Tillis, The Lynns (Loretta's twins), Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Chesney, Billy Burnette (of Fleetwood Mac) and played with Mick Fleetwood's Zoo (a fun blues band that never rehearsed once).

Jerry Oland - banjoist (and sometime washboard player) has been playing bluegrass in the Hudson Valley for more than 30 years. Jerry has a "Bluegrass State of Mind", drawing from the sounds of Bill Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs. His strong rhythmic sense helps define Back Roads tight banjo groove. Jerry brings an enormous amount of experience to the band. He has appeared in numerous bands including The Arm Bros., Wheelhoss, The Millstone Valley Boys, Wildcat Creek, Out To Lunch, Bear Acker & Billings Gap, and Stan Tyminski & Rustic Blue.