Band | randyleeashcraft

Randy Lee Ashcraft

Randy Lee Ashcraft has been entertaining people all over the country for over 20 years and has returned home to the Eastern Shore to perform for his favorite fans! A former Green Beret in the United States Army, Randy has released five albums, which combined have sold over 20,000 copies to places as far reaching as Europe! In 1999, he received a citation from Governor Parris Glendening of Maryland honoring his "dedicated efforts to share the beauty of the Eastern Shore of Maryland region through his music and the song 'Shore Thing'." Randy has opened for several national acts such as Joe Diffie, Colin Raye, Lonestar, Cherie Austin, Toby Keith, Travis Tritt, Phil Vassar, Aaron Tippin, and Sawyer Brown, and more recently for Josh Turner and Sara Evans. He was the winner of the 1997 Jimmy Dean/True Value Country Music Showdown and the Independent Music World Series held in Philadelphia, PA. He was the first and only country music artist EVER to win the latter! Randy is also the '02, '03, '04, and '05 winner for Best Entertainer/Singer of the Eastern Shore, the '03, '04, and '05 winner for Best Singer/Songwriter on Delmarva, and the '08 Entertainer of the Year as presented by the Coconut Times.

The Saltwater Cowboys

Mickey Meiklejohn

Our harmonica virtuoso! A native Marylander, Mickey began playing harmonica in the late 1970’s and since, has played with countless musicians and bands. Through the years, Mickey has lent his talents to many recordings, including background music for commercials and documentary films. He has taught harmonica at Davis & Elkins College, the Augusta Music Workshops and is currently teaching at Delaware Technical College, as well as the Bay Health Hospital, where his music is now part of a patient therapy program. Mickey has been playing harmonica with Randy Lee in the Ocean City area now for more than 15 years. Always upbeat and with his wonderful sense of humor, you can hear the joy in his music when he’s playing his harmonica – come see for yourself! If you are interested in a harmonica lesson, you are welcome to contact him directly at harpman774@yahoo.com.

Ken Roughton

Drummer, Ken Roughton started playing drums in high school with several classmates working on rock tunes from the late 60's and early 70's. After graduation and several years spent traveling the world, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and New Zealand, working and surfing, he came home to the Eastern Shore and landed a job playing drums for about five years with the regionally popular southern rock band "Great Train Robbery". In 1983 he bought into his current business, "Fenwick Island Surf Shop". Since then, along with running his store, he has continued playing drums for many local groups such as a six year run with the popular wedding band "The Tuxtones" and several other short lived rock groups. During the fall of 2004, after stopping in at "Smitty McGees Raw Bar" for a bite to eat he was lucky enough to catch Randy Lee Ashcraft and Jim Rowbottom doing their duo acoustic act. Being very impressed with their sound, style, vocal harmonies and Randy's extensive list of original tunes he struck up a conversation and discovered they were looking for a drummer. The following week he showed up with drums ready to jam. That same night, bass player Leo Carlins came out, also ready to jam. It all came together that night. Now, ten years later, 2014, Ken continues to enjoy each and every performance with "Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys" be it either small bar gigs or large concert venues with all original music. Occasionally, Ken comes out for the acoustic duo shows and sits in as bass player. Whether it be on drums or bass, both with back up vocals, Ken is always ready to join in on a song.

Leo Carlins

Leo Carlins: As a boy of 7 or 8 years old growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Leo found himself captivated by the 3-piece bands with piano, bass and drums that he watched on TV. He thought the bass was the coolest thing ever, which explains why he plays one today. According to Leo, the only person in his family that played any instrument was his grandfather (who played the violin) but he was also a carpenter. Leo swears that due to an unfortunate "encounter" with a saw, his grandfather 'lost a few fingers', so there was no one left to teach him an instrument (!!). Soon, Leo did get himself an electric bass and an amp and joined a high school band that earned him enough money for gas and beer (necessities at any age). Leo has played professionally since the 1970's and can play a wide variety of musical styles. He can frequently be seen playing the electric bass, the stand-up bass or the guitar (sometimes all at the same gig!). Leo Carlins has been with Randy Lee Ashcraft and the Saltwater Cowboys since 2004 and is lovingly known as "The Face on the Bass".