Eddie From Ohio

Eddie from Ohio
Eddie from Ohio performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival
Background information
Origin	Virginia, United States
Genres	Folk
Years active	1991 — present
Website	http://eddiefromohio.com
Members	Julie Murphy Wells Robbie Schaefer Eddie Hartness Michael Clem

Eddie from Ohio (or often just EFO) is an American folk band. Formed in 1991 in Northern Virginia, the band has achieved considerable local success, winning four Wammies (Washington, D.C. area music awards) and a nationwide following, all outside the purview of major record labels.

Name notwithstanding, the band is not from Ohio. All four band members are natives of Virginia, and the band has recorded many songs influenced by their deep Virginia roots. The band's name comes from a nickname given to Hartness by a college friend, who coined the nickname as a tribute to the lead singer of Firehose, Ed 'From Ohio' Crawford.

Childhood friends Robbie Schaefer and Michael Clem both attended Virginia's James Madison University, where they founded the Jellyfish Blues Band. It was at JMU that they met Eddie Hartness, a native of Arlington, Virginia, and a product of Washington-Lee High School that also turned out such actors as Sandra Bullock, Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine.

Schaefer had stayed in contact with Julie Murphy (now Murphy Wells), whom he'd met while they'd attended rival high schools. One evening, when Clem and Wells added their voices to Schaefer's during a set in a solo gig, the idea for EFO was formed. The trio invited percussionist Hartness to join them, and, in 1991, the nascent folk group came into being.

Their early repertoire of covers (by such artists as The Byrds and Blues Traveler) was soon augmented by originals from songwriters Schaefer and Clem, and over time the band developed a distinctive folk sound, marrying two acoustic guitars with hand percussion and strong four-part harmonies.

The band saw relative success from the beginning. They launched their own Virginia Soul record label, began producing cassettes and CDs, and handled their own business and bookings. They soon landed themselves a Tuesday night residency at a local Northern Virginia bar, the Bad Habits Grille. After just six months, the venue went from no cover and small audiences to a $5 cover charge and a packed house every Tuesday.