Vanessa Kenaston & Johnny Butten
Traditional Bluegrass and Country
For bookings and general enquiries, please call or email:
booking@johnnybutten.com
(1) 402 370 0556
About Us
It was at a festival in Avoca, Iowa in 1992, when Johnny Butten and Vanessa Kenaston first met.
Johnny, a carpenter from England and Vanessa a cattle rancher from Nebraska was an unlikely combination but the couple connected with each other musically and soon became good friends, jamming together at every opportunity.
In the following months, they played at several festivals, performed a SPBGMA showcase in Missouri, and appeared on the Old Time Country Music series for IPTV.
The pair won many contests across the Mid-West, Vanessa for her powerful, soulful vocals, and Johnny for his banjo prowess.
Their shared love of traditional Bluegrass and Country music, is obvious in their sound. A wonderful blending of voices, accompanied by some fine picking.
Vanessa's vocal range and diversity of songs, from mournful ballads to up-tempo Western swing numbers is matched by Johnny's accompaniment on banjo, guitar, mandolin or fiddle.
Thirty years after their first meeting, they are back together, as seasoned professionals, still holding true to their love of traditional bluegrass and country music with their performances across the USA and Europe.
IT'S GOOD TO BE US
Vanessa is one of the most awarded vocalists in Nebraska, having won dozens of International, National, Regional and Local Country Music contests beginning in the 70’s.
Besides being a powerful singer, she’s also been awarded for her guitar and mandolin picking. She mostly plays rhythm guitar but is also a fine upright bass player and country drummer.
She’s a member of the NTCMA Hall of Fame, a Nashville recording artist, and is often seen on RFD-TV's midwest country show
Johnny has won many picking contests in his early years and accrued many awards throughout his career. He has worked with some fantastic people including Peter Rowan, Marty Stuart, Kenny Baker, Uncle Josh Graves, Bill Keith, and countless others, as well as working for radio stations and TV networks and recording studios across Europe and the USA.
A full-time professional musician, with many years experience as a session player, touring musician, recording engineer, producer and songwriter.
