OLIVE HILL — With Audrey Blevins’ attitude, it’s appropriate that the words “friends” and “family” are included in the name of her business.

Blevins, owner of Fort Falls Friends and Family since June, said she attended the music venue for years before she bought it and it has been a comfort.

“My husband died 22 months ago in a car accident,” she said. The music endeavor keeps her close to her friends and family: her daughter and son-in-law, Tommy and Kendra Murphy, work in the kitchen, which has a menu of hot sandwiches and snacks in an alcohol-free, smoke-free environment. She said they are planning to expand the menu. Her mother, Augusta Lewis, works the door and many people, like Sue and Wheeler Vance, volunteer.

After buying the business, Blevins said she painted and the house band, Kentucky Backroads, built a new stage to accommodate their sound. She said she’s in the process of having new flooring installed and plans more updates.

She said Fort Falls was for her, and still is for many, a place to enjoy music and socialize. There are locals who make a Saturday night visit a ritual and there is a steady stream of strangers, campers from nearby Carter Caves State Resort Park, who come to have a meal and take in some local culture.

Blevins said she wants customers to feel at home at Fort Falls.

“If they see a problem or something they’d like to change, they can tell me,” she said. “We can work together to fix it or make a change. I treat people the way I like to be treated.”

Members Kentucky Backroads exude the same family-oriented attitude that is pervasive at Fort Falls. They spend time together on and off stage, Nathan Bowling, singer, rhythm guitar player and keyboardist, said.

“We’re like brothers,” he said. “When we take a break, we don’t separate and we don’t hide from the crowd. We make sure we meet the people.” He said they also spend time together with their families, enjoying cookouts and parties with one another’s families.

“This is one of the best groups of guys I’ve ever played with and they make it enjoyable,” Bowling said.

All seasoned musicians in a variety of styles of music, the band can play about 180 songs, everything from country to rock and roll and do so, depending on the crowd.

“We tailor make the show to the crowd,” Bowling of Morehead said. “If it’s a younger crowd, we play more rock and roll. If it’s an older crowd, we can adapt and play some Hank Williiams Sr.”

We can do Keith Whitley or AC/DC. We can do Skynyrd or Nickelback. It’s amazing what we get away with.”

He said the band isn’t into it for money or fame but for the pleasure they derive from performing and giving pleasure to the crowd.

“If we make $10 each a night or $100 each, it’s more important to have a crowd instead of money,” Bowling said. “We are all entertainers and we want to see other people have a good time.” Bowling also writes music and has to his credit the song “Heaven Doesn’t Know,” which was selected for a CD produced by the National Gospel Association and was named the number one song on the disc.

Bowling noted while the economy has caused many people to curtail spending on entertainment and technology has given people other sources of entertainment, he said Fort Falls still attracts a good weekend crowd, especially on Saturday nights.

“Our goal is to enjoy music and play for the entertainment of people,” he said.

Music by Kentucky Backroads can be downloaded at kybackroadsband.com. They also have pages on Facebook and myspace.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.