The Reason for the Benefit

Why is it important to keep places like White Horse Black Mountain alive and well?

White Horse Black Mountain makes a difference in the lives of people.

The venue has been a huge asset for the people of Black Mountain and the surrounding areas of Western North Carolina. The venue has been praised by musicians, audience members, and members of the community for it's quality peformances and it's warm and welcoming spirit.

But it goes beyond that. White Horse Black Mountain has demonstrated that it truly cares about people and desires to make a difference in the lives of people; locally, regionally, and around the world.

During early March, White Horse Black Mountain held it's 2nd Help Haiti Heal Benefit event. Asheville resident and friend of White Horse, Lorin Mallorie, was in Haiti at the time and helped arrange and remote Skype broadcast of Haitian musicians who once again had a stage to share their lives and music with the world. Their performance was shown live on the huge screen at White Horse and White Horse arranged to have the performance webcast live ..... so that anyone in the world could see and hear the voices and music of Haiti.

Lorin Mallorie describes the impact of that event as follows:

On Saturday evening we stage a "live" concert via satellite call to White Horse Black Mountain, which is hosting a Haiti benefit. James Vergenau (aka Rebel) of the Haitian reggae band Yizra'el sings an original tune called "Mother Nature"; Jagat accompanies him on the hand drums. The smaller venues here are still closed for reconstruction, and it's Rebel's first performance since the quake two months ago.

They tell me the White Horse audience was in tears. But what stays with me from that night in Kenscoff is the look in Rebel's eyes, alive and inspired to once again be playing the music he loves — this time for a little town in far off America.





Bob Hinkle

Bob Hinkle
http://www.bobhinkle.com/

Bob Hinkle, an Asheville native and co-owner of White Horse Black Mountain spent over 40 years in New York at the center of popular American music.

As a teenager, he was a member of many bands in Asheville. While a student at UNC-Chapel Hill in the sixties, he formed The Good Earth Trio. Following graduation the band relocated to New York where they had some success following the release of an album on the DynoVoice label. They toured extensively including a sting with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.

Bob Hinkle soon left the performing side of music to focus on a career on in the business side of the music industry.

Bob has worn many hats in his career; singer ,songwriter, poet, recording artist, composer/lyricist, corporate executive, consultant, music writer, artist manager, executive producer, record label founder and president. These roles brought Bob Hinkle in contact with a virtual who's who of the music industry as he moved from concert stage to recording studio to corporate office and negotiated recording and publishing contracts, managed major recording artists, optioned literary works for film and stage, managed worldwide concert tours, negotiated licenses for feature films, television and merchandising, and administered relationships with major talent agencies.

Beneath his humble demeanor and casual approach is a lifetime of experiences and relationships with America’s finest musicians of the past half century.

In 2008, Bob returned to his native mountains of North Carolina and added a new "hat" - that of music venue owner. Bob and his wife Kim own and manage White Horse Black Mountain, a 225 seat music and arts venue and are bringing a world of talented performers to Black Mountain NC.