Greg Trafidlo

During the early years of the Folk Boom of the 1960’s, Greg was part of a folk quartet, The Campus Four. All students at Downers Grove High School, they fashioned themselves musically after the Kingston Trio, Brothers Four, and others. It took fifty years for Greg to share the stage with those same acts. His quartet placed second in a Chicagoland “Talented Teen Contest,” which got them to play live on “The Lee Phillips Show” on WGN.

Greg soon teamed up with another folk enthusiast, Kurt Reedy. They spent every Sunday afternoon at The Fickle Pickle, 1137 N. State Street. It wasn’t long before they became the unofficial opening act each week before the open mic took place.

The following year Greg started a folk group called “The Shady Grove Singers.” They spent a year playing at bandshells across the suburbs and regularly at the Grendle’s Fen Coffeehouse in Wheaton.

In 1976, Greg joined the well-established Greater Chicago Bluegrass Band, known as one of the top traditional bluegrass bands in the Midwest. They performed at Navy Pier, The Earle of Old Town, The Spot in Evanston, McGiddy’s, The Old Town School of Folk Music, and many other venues. They also played spots on WTTW-TV show “SoundStage” and WBEZ radio’s show “The Flea Market,” live from the Old Town School.

In 1981, Greg moved to Virginia to continue his musical ambitions. Since moving there he has performed in five countries, performed at the U.S. Capitol, the Ryman Auditorium and Bluebird Café in Nashville, performed with Bill Monroe, Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow and opened for Emmylou Harris, John Hartford, Kathy Mattea, Janis Ian, and others.