We are very excited to bring together three excellent songwriters on the ACMA stage. J Robert, is a long-time member with a full schedule, so we are always thrilled when we can get him off Marco Island. Ricky Baker Cegelis, is another long-time member. With Ricky now living in Florida full time, we hope to see and hear more from him. Please welcome new member Marie Nofsinger. She is a dynamic performer and an excellent songwriter. If you have seen any of these three on stage before, you know sparks are going to fly when we get them all together.
J Robert the Marco Island Music Man
“Hear J Robert once and you’ll know why he’s called ‘Mr. Florida’!”
J Robert is a Florida-born entertainer who lives year-round on Marco Island, performing hundreds of events in SW Florida annually.
Visitors to Florida are entertained by J Robert’s signature sounds of SW Florida…blending violin, steel drums and guitar into every song.
“Artist of the Year” Marco Island Foundation for the Arts 2016 – 17
“1st Place Florida Song” Will McLean Fest 1992
“Entertainer of the Year” Florida Country Music Association 1987
“Instrumentalist of the Year” Florida Country Music Association 1987
Florida Folk Festival participant 1997 – 2016
Mangrove Music Studios, J Robert’s private music production facility, has placed music for The Travel Channel, Big Bang Theory, Madame Secretary, Apalachicola Arts Fest, Rookery Bay Estuary, and the complete music score for the PBS documentary The Great Florida Cattle Drive: Unbroken Circles produced by Elam and Nic Stoltzfus.
J Robert is currently producing “The Florida Fiddler Show” – a theatrical music monologue featuring songs about Fiddles, Florida History, Heritage and Hope!
Over the years, J Robert has warmed up for or played shows with…Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Daniels, Doug Kershaw, Clint Black, Tracy Lawrence, Willie Nelson, David Allen Coe, Vassar Clements, Chubby Wise…and has performed and recorded with John McEuen from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
By the time J Robert plays for our ACMA friends, he will have more musical stories from the Central Asian www.WorldNomadGames.com in Kyrgyzstan.
When not performing, J.Robert sails his 35′ Trimaran around Marco, the crown jewel of the 10,000 Islands, into the Gulf of Mexico.
www.Facebook.com/JRobert.Music
Marie Nofsinger
Award winning songwriter, national touring performer and recording artist Marie Nofsinger will take you on a journey into the soul of America.
Tales of outlaws, anarchists, the common working man, Jesus and broken hearts fill her original repertoire. Lilting melodies, swamp stomp rhythms, as well as jazzy swing tunes carry the lyrics into your memory.
A published BMI songwriter, her credits include; Her CD “Boots” which was voted City Link Magazine’s “Best Acoustic CD of 1999” and the latest 2010 release “The Wildlife Rides Again” chosen as “Best Roots and Acoustic CD of 2010” by the Palm Beach Post Entertainment Editor. “I’m Drunk Again” and “The Ash is Gone” are in the movie “Borderline Murder” and “Honey Bee” is in a series called “Sasquatch in the Kitchen” in Alaska.
Marie was in the cast of the two sold out shows “Carry It On – The History of the Labor Movement in America -Tribute to Pete Seeger”, Feb. 2014.
She has won numerous songwriting awards including First Place First in Best Original Song by Suwanee Springfest, 1st Place Ballad by the South Florida Folk Festival and was selected as the “1999 Best Local Acoustic Performer” by the New Times Magazine. Marie is also a 16 year member of the wild woman band known as the “Habanero Honeys”, a staple of Suwanee Springfest and at the 2012 and 2014 Virginia Keys Grassroots festival.
She is also one of the 10 Magnificent Musicians of Palm beach County from the 2002 Palm Beach Post TGIF. She has performed throughout the USA, the Caribbean and Europe.
Ricky Baker Cegelis started playing guitar when he was 45. He’s obviously a fast learner. Musical influences include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, John Prine, Steve Earle, Mississippi John Hurt and Rolling Stones. Ricky plays locally with 4 Man Trio, and RPM. His songs emerge from personal experience and whimsy. Now that he is retired we are looking forward to hearing more from Ricky.