Tag: Paul Holmberg

Members Reception will be a Grand Start to Seldovia’s Summer Music Season

by Tania Spurkland

New and Old Members Reception Featuring Paul Holmberg & Friends

The Seldovia Arts Council (SAC) is kicking off its busy 2014 summer/fall season with a free “Members Reception” at the Stranik’s residence on the Boardwalk on Friday May 9th at 7:00 pm. Come and renew your membership or join SAC this evening and enjoy the best of country and gospel music of Paul Holmberg & Friends.  Paul will be joined by Loy Thurman on Bass, Dan Ryan on lead guitar along with special guest……Judy Cuddy. Appetizers will be served.

Paul is an authentic Alaskan of Aleut and Swedish descent. He was born in a Widgeon amphibious airplane 35 miles southeast of Chignik, AK 2000 feet in the air!  He has been a commercial fisherman all of his life, turning to the guitar and country music to relax from the high stress of skippering a limit seiner off the capes of Shumagin Island.

Holmberg’s music is a mixture of traditional country and gospel music. It is heavily influenced by the old country records he grew up listening to in the fishing villages of Sanak and Sand Point. Artists like Lefty Frizzell, Merle Haggard and Johnny Rodriquez, Gene Watson and others had a huge influence on his musical style.

Paul met Ruben Hillborn, “The Singing Fisherman”, early in his life. Ruben’s singing as well as song writing fascinated him, and Ruben became one of Paul’s important mentors. Paul started recording in Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 17 and later recorded in Nashville, Tennessee; his last 2 recordings were recorded back in Cincinnati. The songs focus on what’s most important to Paul: family, people, stories and God. Paul just returned from Eustis, Florida where he performed at the Wild Horse Theater as part of Stephen Hutsenpiller Productions Entertainment Showcase.