The Truckey Road Roughnecks

​​On March 12, at 1:30 pm, the Alpena Association of Lifelong Learners will host its fourth in its Adventures in Music series at the Granum Theatre on the Alpena Community College campus.

The Truckey Road Roughnecks will be the featured artist. The band members include Don Grabiel on fiddle, Diane Madsen on bass guitar, Beth Strong on mandolin and vocals, Julie Grabiel plays the guitar, and Bryan Strong is on lead vocals and guitar. More friends have joined in recently including Linda LaCross on guitar and vocals, Maureen McWilliams on guitar, and Jon Clearwood on guitar.

Rick LaCross serves as the group’s roadie, equipment hauler, and all-around fix-it man.The Roughnecks love playing traditional bluegrass fiddle tunes, vintage waltzes, polkas, classic country, and a handful of newer songs.

The band members find great joy in playing for assisted living and skilled nursing facilities where the music communicates in a very special way.

They also look forward to playing for family reunions, parties, church picnics, wedding receptions, and other local venues.

The Truckey Road Roughnecks grew from a group called Music for You.

Guitar player and lead singer Greg Altman and lead guitar player Dick Reed invited Diane Madsen, Don Grabiel, and Beth Strong to join them.

After Dick and Greg’s passing, the desire to make music and bring joy to others continued.

The Roughnecks were formed shortly thereafter to continue the amazing legacy of “Music for You.” They began playing in a garage on Truckey Road and still jam there weekly.

Looking ahead, the next performance for Adventures in Music will take place at 1:30 pm on May 14 at the Granum Theatre, featuring MaryAnn Hubbard, well-known around the Alpena area for her delicate, silvery flute music. She will be joined by Cheryl Bates, another flutist, and Kat Tomaszewski will accompany them on the piano.

These performances are free to the public, with donations accepted, and are made possible with the help of Alpena Community College and the Granum Grant in addition to the Association of Lifelong Learners.