Hanceville's very own bluegrass supergroup, the Cotton Pickin' Kids.

The stage at Berkeley Bob’s Coffee house may not be big enough to hold tonight’s featured performers.

But when Hanceville’s own Cotton Pickin’ Kids start their show at 7 p.m., it likely won’t matter — so long as everyone’s having a good time.

The Cotton Pickin’ Kids are the children of Fabio and Elizabeth Cipollari, a big, home-schooled, happy family who’s now nine brothers and sisters strong — with a tenth on the way.

The performing children, whose ages range from 2 years old to 14, have been playing together for more than three years. Fabio joins them onstage, manning the upright bass.

As for Elizabeth?

“I’m usually holding a baby,” she joked.

How’d the family decide on their stage name? Well, it sort of happened on the spot.

“We were at a ‘shade tree’ contest in Tennessee, and we didn’t have a name picked out,” Fabio explained. “The woman who was taking our registration asked me, ‘What’s the name of your band?’ I told her we didn’t have a name, but I just said under my breath — in that tired, fed-up way — ‘Those cotton’ pickin’ kids!’

“It must have worked, because we placed second at that contest.”

Check out the Cotton Pickin’ Kids tonight at Berkeley Bob’s. The free show begins at 7 p.m.

 

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.