Good Ol’ Persons
Bands / Ensembles
The Good Ol' Persons (1975–c.1995) was a bluegrass band from the San Francisco Bay Area. It started in 1975 after five women (Kathy Kallick, Laurie Lewis, Barbara "Josie" Mendelsohn, Dorothy Baxter and Sue Shelasky) performed three songs at an open mic. Mendelsohn suggested the name, a play on "good ol' boys" and on the then-new practice of turning "chairman" into "chairperson." The lineup quickly changed but by 1980 had solidified into Kallick on guitar, John Reischman on mandolin, Sally Van Meter on Dobro, Paul Shelasky (brother of Sue) on fiddle, and Bethany Raine on bass. Kevin Wimmer later replaced Shelasky, and Beth Weil and then Todd Phillips followed Raine. Former members have played occasional reunions since the band stopped performing regularly.
In the newsletter
- No. 1 September 1994
- No. 7 Spring 1996
- No. 8 Summer 1996
- No. 13 Fall 1997
- No. 19 Spring 1999
- No. 22 Winter 2000