biography
About Tom Breiding from those you may know...
Tim O’Brien, Grammy Award Winning Singer-Songwriter: Tom Breiding's bluegrass flavored CD "The Unbroken Circle" provides a much needed look at the story of the West Virginia coalfields. Like the best historical fiction, these true stories in song provide easy access to a culture whose trials and tribulations are too often ignored.
Tom T. Hall, “The Storyteller,” Distinguished Member Songwriters' Hall of Fame: Shades of Woody Guthrie - These recordings contribute to the historical understanding of this much misunderstood region.
Ron Olesko, Producer/Host WFDU’s Traditions, Teaneck, NJ: Tom Breiding serves up a slice of America’s heart and soul on his latest project “The Unbroken Circle.” Tom is a gifted storyteller who has crafted a monumental set of songs, each one a singular epic that fits together to tell an important story.This is one CD that will stick with you.
Tom's story...
While certain artists achieve widespread notoriety, other musicians direct their skills toward more selective audiences and gain a good deal of respect along the way. Tom Breiding has been honing his singing, guitar playing and songwriting talents since the early 80's, from his hometown of Wheeling W.Va., to his current residence in Pittsburgh, and points in between. One of Western Pennsylvania’s most diverse, prolific, and longest-serving entertainers, he's played in working bands for twenty-five years continuously, served on the staff of a major Nashville publishing company, and has released eight of his own albums since 1991. Tom has carved a niche as a chronicler of small-town America. His songs are affecting. From powerful ballads to haunting laments and blue collar anthems, Breiding delivers with a poignant, plain-spoken truthfulness and with total conviction. He performs in clubs throughout the Eastern United States, in schools as part of two heritage through music programs entitled "Railroad Town" and "The Unbroken Circle," and weekly in various settings near his current residence in Pittsburgh. His work is strong testimony to the integrity and perseverance of one of this region’s most dynamic musicians. His new release "The Unbroken Circle" is a collection of songs that document events in the coalfields of West Virginia from the early 1900’s, and is now available on the AmeriSon Records label. Complementing an impressive body of work released by Breiding over the past fifteen years, this album represents a culmination of his evolved voice as a roots rock balladeer and a blue-collar statesman. Self-produced and recorded primarily with West Virginia bluegrass musicians, this project ranks as Breiding’s most artistic endeavor to date.
Tour Info and merchandise...
For complete tour information or to purchase CD's visit: www.tombreiding.com