About the Home Remedy Members

Only a few generations ago, Appalachian folk music wasn't something to be preserved, but enjoyed. When the day's work was done, mandolins and fiddles came off shelves and the old songs united everyone: hymns of old Appalachia, folk songs of England and Scotland brought to America by mountaineer ancestors and carried down through generations, played on homemade dulcimers and guitars, rhythm coming from tapping on bones or flat-foot dancing. Those ways are almost gone now. Southeast Ohio mountains hide their secrets, and were it not for musical groups like Home Remedy, it might all slip into history, never heard again.

With a name that hearkens to the therapeutic beginnings of the group - how the three founding women would gather to sing in a kitchen as a way of recovering from the stresses of their day. Home Remedy's members do credit to the human realness of Appalachian folk music while also simply sounding beautiful. One listen to their version of "Oh Susanna" (from their 1999 disc Goin' Up On The Mountain) illustrates the line they ride, capturing the easy pop flavor of James Taylor's 1970 version without sacrificing any integrity from Stephen Foster's original, displaying how there wouldn't be much point to keeping a folk tradition alive if it wasn't great fun to listen to.

With the bell-clear harmonies of Jeanie Creamer, Mike Thieken, Karen Bump, Jamie Tevis, and Bea and John Hollback, Home Remedy take traditional mountain material and make something at once as old as the hills (literally) immediately contemporary. Home Remedy is as much a folk music group as a gathering, or a preservation society, or simply a "happening" with music, fun and as much berry cobbler as can be eaten between songs. Everyone sings, a full half the band plays fiddle or guitar, and all switch up as need be from song to song, with a sprinkling of autoharp, dulcimer, mandolin, standup bass and traditional percussions as need be.

In addition to a steady run of live performances in the Midwest, they are all active in the pursuit of preserving the music they love, in remembrance of what it should always be: beautiful to listen to, and fun. Always a fun time live, Home Remedy bring the spirit of the front porch and the magic of the old mountain ways to listeners far and wide, with a joyous burst of country harmony, fellowship and good times the way things used to be.

For more information about the band, please contact Karen Bump at 740-592-1488, karen@homeremedymusic.com .

Karen Bump took up guitar when she was 30, and then began working on fiddle in her 40's, studying with old-time fiddlers in West Virginia. Karen is also learning the autoharp.

As the band's manger, Karen handles our correspondence and bookings. After her retirement several years ago, she decided to start a project to record and preserve old-time traditional music for future generations. (See separate page for details.)

A mother and grandmother, Karen and her husband, Duane, live in Athens

Jeanie Creamer Jeanie Creamer has been playing guitar and singing for over 20 years. As lead singer
for the band, Jeanie's repertoire includes old-time, bluegrass, country, and folk music. She also plays mountain dulcimer and mandolin from time to time.

Jeanie teaches kindergarten and lives in Athens with her husband Tim, daughter Alyse, and stepson Eric.

Bea and John Hollback live in South Webster, Ohio. Both of them have pursued music their entire lives. John is a traditional fiddler who learned to play from his father, and enjoys playing both Bluegrass and old-time songs. An accomplished mandolin player, John also plays guitar, bass, and harmonica.

Bea's main instrument is the upright bass, but she also plays mountain dulcimer and the bird house banjo. Bea can often be persuaded to put her bass down and do a little flat-footing.

Now that they are retired, they play with several bands, enjoying music even more.

Jamie Tevis is the band's living encyclopedia of music, and has enjoyed music her entire life.

Jamie sings, plays the guitar and also plays rhythm of the "dancing Dan." Jamie specializes in singing lovely old songs of the early 1900's.

A retired school teacher, Jamie has many hobbies, including writing and publishing several books about her life.

"My Life With The Hustler" 2002
"Stitch By Stitch" 2005

A mother and grandmother, Jamie resides in Athens

Mike Thieken is a talented traditional musician, who has been playing music since he was about six, learning to play the fiddle, mandolin and guitar from his father. He plays all of these instruments in the band, and keeps busy switching from one to another. Mike also does lead and harmony vocals, and keeps the band's sound system up and running.

He and his wife Bonnie live in Glenford, Ohio. They have children and grandchildren, and enjoy traveling when they can get away.