COLUMBIANA – A new tribute band with deep local roots making waves across Ohio and Western Pennsylvania will brings its show to Columbiana.

Bayou Blue, a Creedence Clearwater Revival and Linda Ronstadt tribute band, has officially launched after several months of intense rehearsals and is now performing shows in theaters and venues throughout the Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Columbus areas.

The band will make a local appearance on Saturday, Jan. 17, at the CAT – Columbiana Arts Theater in Columbiana. Tickets for the show are available through the band’s website at www.bayoublueband.com.

Bayou Blue celebrates the timeless music of Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of America’s most iconic rock bands, known for its rootsy sound, memorable hooks, and songs that defined a generation. The band’s setlist includes CCR classics such as Have You Ever Seen the Rain, Bad Moon Rising, Proud Mary, Green River, Down on the Corner, Lookin’ Out My Back Door, Born on the Bayou, Midnight Special, Susie Q, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Centerfield, Old Man Down the Road, and many more fan favorites.

The show also pays tribute to the legendary Linda Ronstadt, whose powerful vocals and genre-spanning career made her one of the most successful female artists of the 1970s and beyond. Bayou Blue performs many of Ronstadt’s signature hits, including Blue Bayou, You’re No Good, When Will I Be Loved, It’s So Easy, Desperado, Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me, That’ll Be the Day, Just One Look, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Heat Wave, Ooh Baby Baby, Tumbling Dice, Back in the U.S.A., and more.

Bayou Blue features a lineup of seasoned musicians, many with decades of experience and strong ties to the region.

At the heart of the band are Dave Byers (guitar and vocals) and David “JR” Halfhill (drums), both originally from Wellsville. Their musical partnership dates back more than 40 years. Byers recalls hearing drumming coming from a house down the street in 1980 and knocking on the door to find out who was playing. Halfhill answered, and Byers immediately asked him to join his band. The two have been friends and bandmates ever since.

Halfhill is a retired Army sergeant, having served 40 total years — 20 years on active duty and 20 years in the Army Reserve — with two overseas deployments during his military career.

Handling the powerful vocals made famous by Linda Ronstadt, and also playing keyboards, is Casie Davis. Davis has been singing since childhood at festivals and later fronting multiple bands as an adult. Byers says he first heard her when she jumped onstage to sing a few songs with a band and immediately knew she was the voice he had been searching for. The two have since performed together as a duo for several years before forming Bayou Blue.

On bass guitar is Rich Riffle, an East Liverpool native who grew up on the same street as Donnie Iris and the Granati brothers. When he’s not performing, Riffle works as an art director. He has been playing in bands for more than 40 years.

Rounding out the group is Chuck Beatty, also known as “Big Daddy,” from Pittsburgh. Beatty has been playing in bands since the 1970s and is a songwriter who plays guitar, bass, and harmonica, with a deep love for the blues. By day, he works as an engineer and also serves as the band’s resident sound expert — and comedian.