Peggy first came to Sacred Grounds as lead singer for Java Jivers and was an instant hit. She has a powerful voice and a passion for music and a love for people. She performs traditional songs from the 1920’s and spanning across the years to modern day contemporary soft rock, country, folk, blues, gospel, bluegrass and jazz. Peggy is often backed up by Tokyo Rosenthal who also solos at Sacred Grounds. Tokyo has opened for America, Stephen Still and other recording stars plus toured the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Scotland, Netherlands , etc. To save room listing his accomplishments, please go to tokyorosenthal.com and see for yourself. Together, they make a powerful team that you don’t want to miss.
April 18, 2026 – Sunroom Jazz Band
Harkening back to the days of smoke-filled speakeasies and torch singers, the Sunroom Jazz band came into being over their love of Jazz vocal standards and the Great American Songbook. Married couples, Penny and Bob Setzer, and Allison and Skip Connors, have played Americana music with various groups (String Peddlers, RetroCats) throughout the Triangle for the last 10 years. When COVID hit and the music scene shut down, they decided to explore Jazz vocal standards. They have played Make Music festivals in New York and Raleigh, and at Carolina Beach. Join us, and you just might find yourself singing along with the Great American Songbook.
April 25, 2026 – Bett Padgett
“Bett Padgett is an award-winning songwriter and a true “edutainer,” fusing history and music to tell stories with wit, heart, and unapologetic honesty. Renowned for her distinctive guitar techniques, unconventional tunings and use of capos, she defies categorization, transitioning between instruments such as the claw-hammer banjo, guitars, mandolin, piano, and harp. Her musical style draws inspiration from Celtic, Old-time, New Age, Folk, and rock genres, resulting in a unique sound. Her last three albums garnered spots #4, 6 and 11 on the Folk Alliance International’s Folk Music DJ charts. Bett has taught music in Raleigh since 1978, most notedly at NCSU and hosted the former Little Lake Hill House Concert Series for 18 years. This is Bett’s first appearance at Sacred Grounds so be forewarned, she enjoys engaging with the audience, so be prepared to sing along.” Check her website: http://bettpadgett.com for more details.
May 2, 2026 – Kent Dixon
Singer/songwriter Kent Dixon combines easy listening originals and Contemporary Christian songs with a country feel. Kent started out 16 years ago as a solo act and recorded a CD “A Good Foundation”. He then formed the band Kent Dixon and Higher Ground and recorded 2 more CDs. After moving to Durham he co-founded ‘Gone Fishing’ which recorded the “Raging Sea” CD followed by ‘Broken Rooster’ which was a great 70s/80s Rock band. Next, Kent joined with Neal Allen to form a great Christian Duo and performed for several years Now Kent comes full circle as he performs as a solo act. He combines acoustic guitar and piano with clear, worshipful vocals. Come out and join Kent as he returns to his musical roots.
May 9, 2026 – Robert Buxton
Robert Buxton will play his 13th appearance at the Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse as solo piano recital. He will play Classical music, Jazz arrangements, and Southern Gospel music. Robert has his doctorate in music from North Texas State and is a gifted pianist. After 4 years as the pianist for St. Paul UMC Durham, he taught piano at UNC and East Carolina. He currently plays multiple concerts per week throughout North Carolina. He is an awesome pianist…
May 16, 2026 – John Gillespie, Michael Paris, The Raven and The Remedy
John Gillespie is a singer/songwriter/musician from Chapel Hill, NC. He has performed in this region for many years as a soloist and with numerous bands. He has released several CDs as a solo singer/songwriter and with his various bands and is a very much in demand studio bass player. John is a very busy artist and performs often in the Triangle and Triad area. He has performed at Sacred Grounds with The Dogwood Blossom Band and The Marigold Collective. John has also performed as part of a duo with Michael Paris at Sacred Grounds five times over the past two years. He is currently a member of the following bands: Nikki Meets the Hibachi, The Drowning Lovers, Nantahala, and Pillow Foot. John is a world-class singer/songwriter and deeply appreciated by any audience. Michael Paris is also a singer/songwriter/musician from Durham, NC., and his musical style is Americana/folk along the lines of Don McLean, Gordon Lightfoot, and John Denver. Many of his songs use themes from his Appalachia roots running deep during the first half of his life in West Virginia. Michael mostly performs his original songs using an acoustic guitar. He is also a multi-instrumentalist and occasionally performs with an Irish bouzouki and dobro. Michael has performed in the Triangle region for over a dozen years. He has performed numerous times at Sacred Grounds as a solo singer/songwriter, as a duo with John Gillespie and with the groups The Dogwood Blossom Band, Up Cane Creek, and Gnarly Blue. Michael loves being a singer/songwriter. Local songwriters Leah Kaufman & Janet Buehler mix equal parts of silly and sublime with a twist of kickass harmony. Their original songs have garnered awards from the South Florida Folk Festival, Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest, Intermountain Acoustic Music Awards and a few others. But it’s Janet’s riveting voice and Leah’s intricate guitar playing that seals the deal, making these two an up-and-coming duo to watch. Sit back and let their songs catch your ear, tug at the heart, and make you laugh, often in the same song. Whether it’s the story of Dorothy after Oz, or the lure of a pumpkin spice latte, The Raven & The Remedy, they sing you from joy to sorrow and back again.
May 23, 2026 – Todd Parrott
Todd is a Christian harmonica player, keyboardist and singer – if you haven’t heard a really good harmonica player perform you will be shocked at the great and varied sounds Todd can produce. His appearances are not merely “performances”, but are opportunities for those present to be blessed as they open their hearts through singing and music. Come and see why Todd is so highly thought of at Sacred Grounds.
May 30, 2026 – Old 86
The band Old 86 emerged from its members’ shared love of acoustically driven music in a wide range of styles prevalent along the winding route of Old Highway 86 through the North Carolina Piedmont. Alfred Reid (guitar, vocals), Susan Johnson (guitar, vocals, percussion) and Matt Velkey (bass, vocals, harmonica) found they loved to set vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements to folk, blues and Americana music. They also perform original music that ranges from heart felt folk ballads to whimsical upbeat blues and bluegrass. This will be their 2nd concert here after a very successful debut.
June 6, 2026 – Birdsong
This is a Family acoustic trio consisting of Wendell Thornton and his 2 very talented daughters who are both award winners on the mandolin and fiddle. Sounds of Appalachia with folk, country, bluegrass, and gospel sprinkled in! Sharing God’s love through music and entertainment. They have been very popular at Sacred Grounds. We’re extremely happy to have them back.
June 13, 2026 – Danny Smith
Danny has been a favorite at Sacred Grounds since his first appearance with Trilogy – he has had music ministry experience in the local church areas of choir, soloist, and praise and worship leader. He was in a solo ministry before forming Trilogy, a contemporary Christian vocal trio, and is now returning to solo ministry. His talent as a songwriter won him a finalist position in the nation Kentucky Fried Chicken Songwriting Contest in 1983. God began giving Danny lyrics for Christian songs in 1999. Five of those songs are on the Trilogy CD “Hungry World” and another all-original music project, “I Surrender”, was released in September 2005. Danny has performed with national Christian singer, Alan Asbury and wrote the lyrics for 2 songs with music director Ivan Hampton Jr. who was the drummer for Luther Vandross for 17 years. Danny desires his gifts to be used to bless the body of Christ and reach the lost. Danny’s first set is primarily oldies such as My Girl, Only You, Lady and a bunch of other favorites. The 2nd set is primarily Contemporary Christian, both from his previous CDs and other cover songs.
June 20, 2026 – Graybirds
Graybirds is a three-piece Americana band. Cathy, Tom, and George have been playing in various bands together for over 10 years. Their unique sound incorporates folk, a dash of rock, a little country, and some original songs. They draw inspiration from such artists as Allison Krauss, Rosanne Cash, Nanci Griffith, and the Meadows Brothers.
June 27, 2026 – City Folk
City Folk (Pete Smith and Jane Muldoon-Smith) is an acoustic folk group that plays music spanning contemporary folk and pop music to country-folk music. They are one of our long time favorites at Sacred Grounds – Pete is a fine singer and master on guitar and Jane has one of the purest voices you’ll hear on our stage. Their daughters Jessica (vocals) and Joanna (bass player) occasionally perform and add to this already great night of music.
Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse 