JUMBO LUMP DADDy

Clayton Neal (aka Jumbo Lump Daddy) is a vocalist, guitarist, and harmonica player who has become a popular musical fixture throughout the Rivah Country both as a performer and coordinator of musical artists at local venues, and through sharing his musical talents in support of community and charitable organizations. Prior to moving to Middlesex County, Clayton lived in Richmond, Virginia where he performed with the critically acclaimed band Buzzard Luck.

He is the founder of Jumbo Lump Daddy and the Backfin Boys, who were voted Best Local Musicians by the readers of Pleasant Living magazine eight years in a row. He currently lends his musical talents to the recently revived version of the band while continuing to perform as a solo artist as well as with an 8 piece oldies band, The FlatTones.

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Gary Archer, lead guitarist and songwriter for Jumbo Lump Daddy and the Backfin Boys, has been playing music for most of his life. He learned to play the trumpet, drums, and guitar all before the age of 12. Inspired musically by his parents (his father was a bugle instructor for his battalion in WWII) and coached by his high school choral director, Dr Deen Entsminger, he went to Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 1979 with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education with a major in voice.

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Gary was the choir director at Bon Air Christian Church in Bon Air, VA and taught elementary general music in Brunswick and Cumberland Counties for over 25 years. During his tenure in Cumberland, he began to write original music for the children he taught and for the band he played in. It was at Bon Air that he met long time duo partner Clayton Neal, and they started playing together right away. These two formed Jumbo Lump Daddy and the Backfin Boys over 25 years ago and have enjoyed the success of being one of the most popular and award-winning bands in eastern Virginia.

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A big part of Gary's life has been spent living on the Rappahannock River in Waterview, VA. This river front village, upriver from Urbanna, VA, has given him much inspiration for writing songs about life on the mighty Rappahannock and the great people who live and work there.

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Throughout his long career in bluegrass and Americana music, Billy has appeared with many artists and groups, including Stoney Point, Bill Harrell & the Virginians, Josh Graves, Kenny Baker, Mac Wiseman, East of Monroe, and now Jumbo Lump Daddy and the Backfin Boys! Billy resides in Urbanna, Virginia, where his family has lived for generations. In addition to playing music, Billy enjoys hunting, fishing, and sailing.

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Clark has deep east Virginia roots in Gloucester County, and since the early ‘80s has maintained his sailing ketch, Solitude, in the Gwynn’s Island/ Deltaville area. A multi-instrumentalist, Clark brings a new texture to the JLD Experience with his west African drum, the Djembe, (which translates to "everyone gather together in peace") adding to JLD's "Americana with a wet edge" philosophy.

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