There was a lot of excitement in Botetourt Sunday night when two of its own were on stage in front a full house in Las Vegas and millions of television viewers as members of Old Dominion when the group received the ACM Vocal Group of the Year Award.
Witt Sellers (left) and Matt Ramsey (at microphone) are drummer and lead singer, respectively, for the group. Sellers, a Blue Ridge native and Lord Botetourt High School graduate, and Ramsey, a Buchanan native and James River High School graduate, have been band members since the group formed in 2007. They were joined by other band members Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi and Trevor Rosen for the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards Show. Rosen also is familiar to those who have seen Ramsey and other songwriters at Nashville Night, a regular fund-raiser for the Buchanan food pantry.
“Wow, this is heavy in a lot of ways,” Ramsey said when he reached the microphone surrounded by the band. “There’s a lot of people who’ve made a lot of sacrifices in order for us to be where we are right now. Our families, our management team, our label; we’re so lucky… We feel good, we’re friends and we’re having a ball, man. Thank you for letting us make music. Thank you for that.” Old Dominion’s “Happy Endings” was also nominated for Album of the Year. The album, which debuted at No. 1 last year, has produced two No. 1 singles so far. Two other songwriters who have joined Ramsey for Nashville Night, Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally, were recognized as co-writers on Sam Hunt’s ACM Single of the Year, “Body like a back road.” ACM awards are based on three rounds of ballots that only ACM members— those in the country music industry— may vote on.
