Doug Spears

The Florida Cracker Collective is the product of decades of friendship and music collaboration between home-grown Florida talents, all of whom are mainstays of the Florida folk and acoustic music community.  Joining Doug in the Collective are Lon and Lis Williamson, musical partners and sweethearts for over forty years in St. Augustine, FL, and Ron and Bari Litschauer from West Palm Beach, who have likewise been on a forty plus year musical adventure together.  This collaboration uses Doug’s original tunes as the canvas for eloquent harmonies, clean, tightly performed arrangements and musical stage craft honed by decades of experience.  Above all else, it is five dear friends having one heck of a good time doing what they love. You’re going to like what you hear.

An exceptional guitarist and mandolin player, Ron Litschauer has been a key part of various bands over several decades playing everything from bluegrass to folk to country and classic rock.  His versatility, quick ear and innate ability to add just the right touch in support of the song keep him in high demand.  The great folk legend, Tom Paxton, chose Ron as his sideman for two significant shows here in Florida that also featured Odetta, Janis Ian and Michael Jonathan.  He and Bari were similarly tapped by The Lubben Brothers for numerous Florida shows and by so many of the very best Florida artists.  His bride of 45 years and musical partner, Bari Litschauer has a tasteful and distinctive style on the banjo and tenor guitar and approaches these instruments with a unique and deceptive intricacy.  Ron & Bari have been mainstays for decades at all the major, established acoustic music festivals and venues throughout Florida and beyond.  

Lis & Lon are also 40 plus year life partners and musical co-conspirators who are fixtures throughout the Southeast music scene and true legends in the St. Augustine area where they lived across the street from the great Gamble Rogers himself.  Lis has a metronomic right hand on guitar and banjo and she can also jump in on mandolin, tenor guitar and . . . well, most anything with strings on it.  Plus, she’s an exceptional songwriter.  Her vocals and harmonies are incomparable.  If you haven’t heard her album Deep, go order it right now!  Lon is an extraordinary and versatile musician playing bass, guitar, mandolin or, again, most anything with strings, as well as being a gifted singer and songwriter.  As lifelong working musicians, Lis and Lon are celebrated for their harmonies, diverse repertoire (folk, bluegrass, swing, jazz), and songwriting, performing as a duo and fronting a wide range of band configurations including The Gatorbone Trio, The Driftwoods, Medicine Springs, The Wildersons and Fluttermill.

The Florida Cracker Collective has been in the studio and the new album, Blacktop Road is available above under the Store tab.