Randy Gilkey

Randy Gilkey (born September 16, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording engineer from Oak Hill, West Virginia. Gilkey lost his eyesight shortly after birth when too much oxygen was pumped into an incubator, where both of his retinas became detached. Gilkey began playing piano aged two. He tours, records and performs with his band "The Boatmen".[1][2][3]

Randy Gilkey
Born (1976-09-16) September 16, 1976
Oak Hill, West Virginia, U.S.
GenresAmericana
Instrument(s)Piano, drums
Years active1989–present

Musical career

Gilkey's instrumentation can be found on albums by artists such as The Drifters and Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs. Randy has played on stage with artists such as Chuck Berry and David Holt and has appeared on NPR's Mountain Stage several times.[4]

In July 2011, "The Boatmen" released their self-titled debut album at FloydFest.

In November 2017, Gilkey announced that he would audition for America's Got Talent to help him reach a national audience.[5]

He is a nominee for the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.[6]

Personal life

Gilkey resides in his hometown of Oak Hill, West Virginia, and continues to regularly play events in Beckley and the surrounding areas.[7][8]

References
  1. Clark, Courtney D. (September 20, 2009), Area native's musical career takes off, The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia, retrieved October 4, 2011
  2. Hypes, Chad; Baidya, Atish; Noreika, Elizabeth (June 16, 2011), Musician's Disability Doesn't Stop His Passion, Eyewitness Local News, retrieved October 4, 2011
  3. Wineka, Mark (May 17, 2016). "Blind ambition: A visiting musician makes downtown pianos sing". Salisbury Post. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  4. Halsey, Derek (August 25, 2011), Huntington's 2nd annual Music and Arts Festival to kick off Saturday, Herald-Dispatch, retrieved October 4, 2011
  5. Farrish, Jessica (November 13, 2017). "Gilkey to audition for America's Got Talent". Fayette Tribune. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  6. "Nominees". West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  7. Halsey, Derek (September 1, 2022). "Huntington Music and Arts Festival is Saturday with 25 acts, art and more". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  8. Skeldon, Katherine (June 9, 2022). "Fish fry fundraiser to be held for the Humane Society of Raleigh County". WOAY-TV. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
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