Mary Sue Wilkinson grew up in Iowa in a family that loved to sing and to dance. Her dad recalls going to 28 dances in 30 days back when the swing bands were touring the rural routes. Her mother, whose voice was a perfect match for Mary Sue’s, gave her the most precious gift of song and taught her to sing harmony in the church choir. Mom saved green stamps to buy Mary Sue a little black Kay guitar when she was 12 years old. Since that time she has become one of the leading “pure” singers in the traditional music scene. Mary Sue is best known for her work in the band Iowa Rose, a roots band well known throughout Michigan and beyond.

Joe Wilson

Raised in a musical household, Joe Wilson took up the trombone while in junior high school. His musical career began in Michigan’s Keeweenaw Peninsula, playing guitar for experimental rock bands while studying engineering. In 1999, Joe moved to Lansing for a position at Elderly Instruments string-shop. There he fed an interest in the dobro and steel guitar, learning from the recordings of Bob Wills, Hank Williams & John Hartford. He played his first show with Steppin’ In It at an August 2000 appearance at the Dunegrass Festival and quickly added more than slide guitar to the group. Joe is known for his strong sky-high harmonies, his fiery dobro playing and mastery of the straight-8 steel guitar. He also moonlights on dirty trombone and cajun fiddle. A resident of Traverse City, Joe is a regular at ‘Late Night Jazz at Poppycocks’ concerts with members of the Neptune Quartet.

Don Julin is one of Michigan's premier instrumentalists. From jazz to folk, gypsy to avant-garde, Julin is loved for his talent and fluidity. Julin has achieved national acclaim for his original compositions from his cd's Tractor and Mr. Natural. Julin has won national songwriting contests and his music is often heard on NPR's radio magazine All Things Considered. Don performs throughout the United States and Europe, most recently as the musical director for an international film festival in Spain. He has also been a featured performer for the Classical Mandolin Society of America. Don is a founding member of The Neptune Quartet. With Sister Wilene Don plays both guitar and electric mandolin.

Lauren Bittinger first fell in love with country music sitting in Hogan's diner listening to the tabletop jukebox in a booth with her dad, sharing an egg salad sandwich and singing the back up harmony. She loves playing roots rock music more than chocolate, beer or sitting around a roaring fire on a starlit Lake Michigan beach. She thrives on taking a leap off a musical cliff into the unknown. Lauran performs regularly with David Molinari, Creolization, The Milroys and Dublin Station. A much sought-after side player, Lauran has also performed with Lake Effect, Ralston Bowles, Drew Nelson, Dave Boutette, Chris Buhalis, Annie and Rod Capps and is featured on many recent recordings. Lauran plays accordion and piano with Sister Wilene.

Dave Collini

Dave Collini's musical enthusiasm spans numerous genres and his talents range from piano man, to vocalist to drummer. With Sister Wilene he dons his western shirt and lays down the rhythm on the drums. David got his chops at the renowned Berklee College of Music and has toured the world playing both piano and drums. He's in high demand playing over 200 dates a year with some of the regions top players, including Sister Wilene!

Kevin Gills

Kevin Gills is a long standing member of the Northern Michigan music community.  Equally at home playing anything from punk rock to classical, he has performed with an amazing variety of musicians since the mid 80's. Always a fan of bluegrass and traditional American music, he began performing and recording with Rusty Blaides in 2005. Now, with Sister Wilene, his respect for these established traditions combines with a willingness to experiment and improvise to help bring Old Time Country Music into the 21st Century.

Roger Brown 

Roger Brown was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. As a kid he began singing and playing the guitar. In a long and well-traveled musical career, Roger has worked as a session singer and guitarist, and has recorded and/or toured with Jerry Rafferty, Ringo Starr, Jo Ann Kelly, Freddy Fender, and Link Wray among others. He was a founding member of the band Stealers Wheel. He also wrote the music and lyrics for Ringo Starr’s children’s release “Scouse the Mouse.” Roger has toured extensively around the world and has appeared at numerous international music festivals. In addition to his original material, Roger’s wide-ranging repertoire spans the roots of American country music.