Bio
We should start a band...
we're starting a band!
Hey Friend!
We are the Salty Strings from Cullman, Alabama and we play a collection of Coastal, Country, Rock, and Pop music and sometimes mix them all together! You can catch us in and around the Cullman area at all the local music venues and we are available for private events. So, that's what we are doing now...
The idea for the band was born on New Year’s Eve in 2023, at the beach.
A guitar made its way around the circle, passed from hand to hand as each of us played songs we knew and loved. It was late, and the music, carried on the salt air, reminded us just how much we all shared a love for the same kinds of songs.
Then, almost as a joke, Rob quipped, “We're starting a band.” We laughed it off at the time—just another idea tossed into the night like a bottle into the tide.
What we didn’t know then was that Justin was facing something far more serious than just a casual jam session.
The very next day, he was headed to Houston to begin treatment for leukemia. For months, while he underwent chemotherapy, we were back home in Alabama, trying to encourage him the best we could—through texts, prayers, and reminders that he wasn’t in this alone.
One day, JZ sent him the lyrics to Ain’t No Man by The Avett Brothers. The words, “There ain’t nobody here who can cause me pain or raise my fear, ’cause I got only love to share,” became something of an anthem for us. A reminder that God was in control. That bitterness had no place. That no matter what, we would keep choosing love.
Justin lost his voice during treatment—a tough blow for someone who loves to sing—but he didn’t let that stop him. While he was in Houston, he picked up a little guitar and started playing when he could. By the time he finished chemo in March or April, his voice was slowly coming back, and the music that had been put on pause was ready to play again.
That’s when we started talking about the band—this time, for real. We set our sights on a family Fourth of July party, deciding we’d put together a setlist and play for the people we loved. I dusted off my mandolin, banjo, and guitar, while Rob covered bass and percussion, and Justin took lead vocals and rhythm guitar.
That night, something clicked. The music felt good. We sounded good. And more than that—we had fun.
After that, we started kicking around the idea of playing out in the community, just for fun. Then came our first real gig at Ethos Craft Brewing. The crowd was into it, the venue asked us to come back any Friday night we wanted, and suddenly, this “joke” of a band had turned into something real.
Now, we’re playing once a month, still finding our rhythm, still learning, still stretching ourselves. We might all be in our 50s, but starting something new has been a journey worth taking. It’s about more than just music—it’s about joy, growth, and putting smiles on people’s faces, including our own.
And that’s how The Salty Strings was born.
The Salty Strings Band
Cullman, AL