When West Virginia University’s FallFest tradition began, Brandon LeRoy was just a year old. But for the 20^th anniversary of the university’s annual welcome back concert - held Monday at the Mountainlair - the 2011 Bridgeport High School graduate and WVU senior civil engineering major was right in the midst of it.

 

A musician himself, LeRoy loved the entertainment lineup, which featured hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar, reggae-fusion band MAGIC! - and especially country music vocalist Dierks Bentley.

 

“My favorite performer was definitely Dierks Bentley because I really like his style of music and he really perfected his stage presence and knows how to get the crowd excited,” LeRoy said.

 

In fact, LeRoy said he picked up a few of Bentley’s techniques and plans to put them into action during his own performance at next weekend’s West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival in downtown Clarksburg.

 

LeRoy takes the main festival stage at 12 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31. He’ll be performing with Robert C. Byrd High School senior Marissa Bailey and will be accompanied by the WVIHF Orchestra. The duo will present “Amore – A Musical Tribute to Family, Friends & Heritage.”

 

“It’s an hour show and we are performing a variety of songs from Dean Martin to Michael Buble to an Italian Opera,” LeRoy said.

 

Both he and Bailey have performed most of their lives and for the last few years, have taken the WVIHF stage with the festival’s staple band, “Amici.”

 

“I have also sung for the Sunday mass and on the Showcase Stage under the direction of Pam Krall,” LeRoy said.

 

The opportunity came through WVIHF Entertainment Director Stephen Pishner, who is also liturgical musical director at All Saints Catholic Church in Bridgeport, where LeRoy and Bailey serve as cantors.

 

LeRoy was drum major at Bridgeport High School and played lead alto sax in the BHS Jazz Band. At WVU, he has been a member of the WVU Concert Band. He has also performed multiple times with Vintage Theatre Company under the direction of BHS alum Jason Young.

 

He is a veteran actor with BHS Theatre. Roles include The Cowardly Lion in “The Wizard of Oz,” a Wickersham brother in “Seussical the Musical” and Riff in “West Side Story.”

 

LeRoy has also taken his act on the road – as far northwest as Minnesota – where he was a featured saxophone player for “Musical Ministry Alive,” studying under celebrity sax player Kenni Holeman.

 

WVIHF goers won’t find LeRoy singing his favorite Dierks Bentley tune, “Drunk on a Plane.” But they will likely see him interacting with his audience in an up-close-and-personal way - signature Dierks-style.