The Story of Maggie's Guitar

Why "Maggie's Guitar", you may ask? 

Actually the credit for coming up with that name must go to singer/songwriter, Paul Williams, Ron and Margaret's friend and mentor. After conveying to him the story of how it took "bribery", in the shape of an offer of a new guitar to finally convince Ron's wife, Margaret to join him on stage, to Paul this name then seemed the natural choice.

RON GLETHEROW (Guitar/Keyboards/Bass/Vocals)

Ron is an English-born singer/songwriter who has set up home in Connecticut since marrying "Maggie" in December of 2000.  He had previously played both solo and as band member of several outfits on the London pub/club circuit. An avid Jim Croce admirer, he achieved a lifelong ambition by portraying Jim on the popular British TV show, "Stars In Their Eyes" to a viewing audience of 11 million back in 1998. He has since produced two solo CDs, "Ron Gletherow" and "From England to New England."

Ron is a respected guitar teacher and serves as the regional representative (New England and surrounding area) for the Registry of Guitar Tutors, affiliated to the London College of Music & Thames Valley University, the largest university in Europe.

MARGARET GLETHEROW (Guitar/Mandolin)

"Maggie" is co-founder of "Maggie's Guitar". Margaret learned to play guitar as a teenager in the early 70's, listening to Jim Croce records and playing along with them. 

Folk and acoustic music has always played a big part in her life. After graduating from college with a degree in broadcasting, she worked at a talent agency, booking local talent in the Washington DC area. She soon formed her own agency working with a DC folk radio show, booking artists at a monthly talent showcase at "The Birchmere". Artists she booked included the then unknown Mary Chapin Carpenter.

In 1985 Margaret moved to Pennsylvania and formed "Folkl Point", along with her friend Sal Joseph (writer of "Thursday" on Jim Croce's "I Got A Name" album). Margaret was talent coordinator for this monthly video production. It was there she met up and coming artists such as John Gorka, Rod McDonald and Preston Reed, along with Tom Chapin and Livingston Taylor, who all performed at "Folk Alley" in Philadelphia.

Besides being a musician, Meg is a lover of all creatures great and small and runs Meg's Petsitting.

STEVE FAGIN (Mandolin/Guitar/Vocals)

Steve is a multi-talented musician-singer-songwriter in his own right. He is a mandolinist and guitarist of vast experience, who incorporates musical styles ranging from bluegrass to Bach, and roots to Rachmaninoff. Steve has a particular affinity for reels and hornpipes, but is just as likely to intersperse a Celtic melody with a rondo riff.

Steve is also somewhat the adventurer. He has climbed mountains in Switzerland, Alaska, Nepal and Argentina; kayaked most of the major rivers in the Northeast as well as the 341-mile Erie Canal from Buffalo to Albany; trekked the 273-mile Long Trail from the Vermont-Massachusetts border to Quebec, climbed all 67 of the peaks in New England that rise above 4,000 feet and competed nine times as a qualified runner in the Boston Marathon.  With assistance from his long-suffering son, Tom, and any other unfortunate soul who happens to stray too close, Steve cuts by hand all the wood that heats his home, using an old-fashioned, two-man crosscut saw. He also builds stone walls, grows vegetables and berries in an organic garden, and taps maple trees to make syrup over an open fire.

MIKE BAILEY (Guitar/Bass/Harmonica/Vocals)

Mike is an accomplished singer/songwriter from Norwich, Connecticut. He plays both guitar and harmonica, supplementing his smooth vocals. His first CD, Point, was released in 2002 and is available on CD Baby, iTunes, amazon.com and several other notable sources. 

His musical tastes range from Fiona Apple to Led Zeppelin , with particular weaknesses for Neil Young , the Beatles and early Elton John. He and Steve Fagin are founding members of the Shoreline Acoustic Music Society (www.shorelineacousticmusic.org).