The Purple Hulls are musical twins Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark who play high-energy, acoustic-driven bluegrass and gospel music that includes a mix of traditional folk hymns, original songs and sibling harmonies. Among their touring schedule, which takes them to Indiana and Minnesota this summer, The Purple Hulls will perform closer to home for one show at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Winnsboro Center for the Arts.
The multi-instrumentalists grew up on a farm near Kilgore, learning the value of hard work, appreciating country living and embracing their family’s long line of musical talent. Their band name came naturally as a way to pay homage to their Texas farm roots and the lessons and gifts of their upbringing.
The sisters played basketball and studied music at South Plains College in West Texas and began playing music professionally while there, learning multiple instruments and performing with other musicians. Whether with other musicians or just the two of them, staying together was always a priority and a natural progression of their musical journey.
After college, the sisters moved to the hills of Tennessee, where they quickly found work touring as backing musicians for various country artists, working at the Grand Ole Opry and writing songs for Nashville’s Sony ATV publishing company. About 12 years ago, they returned to East Texas, where they established their home base and continue to share their authentic, acoustic-driven music at venues across the country and in Europe.
Performing again in the region that heavily influenced their creativity is special to them. They make it a point to build genuine connections with audiences through the stories behind their songs.
Tickets to the Aug. 1 concert can be purchased by visiting the Winnsboro Center for the Arts website or by calling (903) 342-0686.