By Frank Roberts

Special to the News-Herald

Smithfield might not be able to afford country music superstars for its annual music festival, but organizers are doing the next best thing — featuring musicians who worked for the biggies.

Guitarist Rich Eckhardt has worked with Toby Keith and Blake Shelton. Bassist John Marcus has worked with Tim McGraw. Glenn Williams has drummed for Billy Ray Cyrus. Another “achy-breaky” musician is Tim Buppert, who went from “achy” to Aiken.

All those country cats are part of Mike Aiken’s band, one of the headliners at Smithfield Music’s Aiken & Friends Fest Oct. 3 and 4.

Even Aiken’s wife Amy gets into the action, serving as an executive with Northwind, the family record label, and as the road manager. Also, when the mood strikes she plays the drums.

All that impressive talent will get together in Smithfield to entertain and educate via performances and seminars during the festival.

And while the ‘ham’ town is not the biggest star on the Old Dominion map, next month it once again becomes a magnet for music lovers, including budding musical stars. Smithfield Music’s Aiken & Friends, which began nine years ago, has become well known for its quality workshops.

The popular guitar workshop will be hosted by Eckhardt. Mike Aiken, who comes from western New York, will conduct a songwriter’s workshop. Amy Aiken, a Californian, will talk about music promotion. And a highlight for budding composers and/or lyricists is Songwriters-in-the-Round.

There will be a host of performers from across the country, including local teen songstress Mollie Taylor, winner of an intense competition for the top spot.

For a complete entertainment schedule, visit aikenandfriendsfest.com.

Whatever goes on, goes to benefit area youth music education, a subject that Aiken said “is being cut out of schools.” The money is used for tours, workshops, instruments and scholarships.

“I’ve always felt that music was an important part of our academic development. I was taught rudimentary music skills in grade school and that, combined with the powerful ability that groups like the Beatles and The Rolling Stones had to communicate and touch people through their music, inspired me to pursue a career in the field,” Mike Aiken said.

“Today, there is considerably less emphasis on teaching music in the public school curriculum, so I recognize that it’s increasingly important for a player in my position to share the musical knowledge I have gained through my experiences as a professional musician. The Aiken & Friends Workshop provides a great opportunity for me to do that.”

Aiken and company have a lot of records under their belts. His current CD is “Captains & Cowboys,” and his current single is, “Put A Sail On It.” Both are quite biographical, since the couple spends plenty of time at sea aboard their rugged Tayan 47 sailboat.

And, thanks to some rough weather, they found Smithfield. “We ran a hurricane,” some years back, he recalled, and they docked in what has become one of his favorite little towns.

Last year, he recorded a video in various Smithfield locales.

They call Nashville home, but they’ve both got tens of thousands of hours at the helm of sailboats.

“We did have a house on land — we had acreage, we raised horses, but the water just drew us in,” Mike Aiken said. “We’ve been in some hairy situations — lots of bad weather. There were times when we were real happy to see the next day.”

Currently, his days are devoted to the Smithfield activities. After the festival is over, he plans to return to the bounding main.

Musically, Aiken has been influenced by John Prine, Doc Watson and Ry Cooder. Folk, bluegrass, blues and, of course, old-time country are Aiken favorites.

“The old silver screen heroes, singing cowboys, and swashbuckling sailors have always held sway for me,” said Aiken who plays guitar — steel and otherwise — and has performed with his band in the U.S. and abroad.

For advance tickets to Aiken Fest or for more information, visit www.aikenandfriendsfest.com.