Fuster Buskins
article from the Alexandria Times Newspaper

Fuster Buskins is a rib-ticklingly funny one man country comedy show performed by actor, storyteller, songwriter and musician Darrell Sroufe. More than just laugh a minute comedy alone, the program also effectively contrasts simpler old time ways with modern society’s ever increasing complexity and confusion. By program’s end the audience comes away with not only the memory of a side-splittingly funny show, but also a longing to return to times when folks still held to plain old common sense values.

Sroufe learned those values from his Smoky Mountain region Baptist kinfolk and followed in the Christian faith of his family. He later went to Bible college in Dallas, Texas and graduated with 4.0 GPA. Applying his college training to the area of counseling, Darrell worked for sixteen years in the professional psychiatric services field. After that he decided to pursue work in the family entertainment field, with a vision for performing a clean, family friendly country comedy show. He then relocated to Tennessee in search of opportunities in the Smoky Mountain area’s tourist entertainment industry.

Darrell soon after began his entertainment career at Dollywood, where he was hired for their 2000 season to be part of a team of character performers premiering a new five million dollar attraction at the entertainment park. Together with his fellow performers, he worked alongside country music superstar Dolly Parton to entertain hundreds of thousands of Smoky Mountain tourists and guests of Dollywood at the new attraction’s opening. Darrell was also featured on a nationally syndicated radio show with an audience of over eight million during the opening of Dollywood’s 2000 season.

Employing a bit of humorous reverse psychology garnered from his years in the psychiatric field well served Sroufe’s comedy performances at Dollywood, as at the end of his first season in 2000, he was honored with their ‘Newcomer Of The Year Award’. He then went on to do daily live shows at the Smoky Mountain tourist attraction for the next three years. He was frequently featured on Smoky Mountain region news and entertainment radio and television programs and won every attraction’s award Dollywood had to offer before leaving the entertainment park at the end of their 2003 season.

While at Dollywood, Sroufe created his country comedy Fuster Buskins show, which is comprised of comedy songs and stories about his fictitious backhills, backwoods and backwards mountain hometown called Klufford’s Holler. Sroufe’s Fuster Buskins character has since become known all over the world by way of his television show appearances, radio airplay of his country comedy recordings, feature newspaper stories and thousands of live performances over the past decade.

Sroufe further established his Fuster Buskins character’s international notoriety on Music Row in Nashville, where he set up the Udderly Good Records label for his recordings. He was also awarded membership with the Country Music Association as well as becoming an ASCAP songwriter and music publisher. While among the Nashville country music business community of Music Row, Sroufe worked show productions for Gaylord Entertainment, the Country Music Hall Of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium and Opryland Productions together with many greats of country music, including George Jones, Vince Gill, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Alan Jackson.

Upon beginning his recording career, he took his show on the road in 2004. After a year of touring, Sroufe re-entered the world of theme park entertainment in 2005 for a four year stint at Atlanta’s famed Stone Mountain Park. While at Stone Mountain, Sroufe’s Fuster Buskins character was named the resort’s number one entertainer by survey of its over four and a half million annual visitors.

In addition to Stone Mountain Park, Sroufe also performed as Fuster Buskins at Turner Field Baseball Stadium for a nationally televised Atlanta Braves game; entertained for the National Adoption Day Picnic; performed for America’s number one arts and crafts Yellow Daisy Festival and was awarded an official Commendation and Certificate of Appreciation by the United States Army Central Command for a performance done for the Chief Commander of the United States allied forces in Afghanistan and his hosting U.S. Army Generals.

Sroufe left Stone Mountain Park at the end of the 2008 season and returned to touring to promote his Fuster Buskins recordings, which currently play on traditional broadcast radio stations in several markets throughout the country and on many worldwide internet radio stations. His recordings are also a particular favorite of Americans and other English speaking populations of UNO (United Nations Organization) City in Vienna, Austria. His recordings are also played in several other European countries, including Germany, Italy and The Czech Republic on Radio Carinzia Coast To Coast; on Europe’s Rhineland, Barvarian and Bohemian area Arch Angel ECMA Radio Show; and on The Netherlands region BRTO country music radio.

Since returning to tour performances, Sroufe wrote a Christian allegory novel called ‘Klufford’s Holler’, which is about the origins of his Fuster Buskins character’s Smoky Mountain hometown. Shortly after its completion, the book was published by Xulon Press and is available through most major bookstore chains. Beyond touring, writing and recording, Darrell also utilizes his Fuster Buskins character as a hilariously refreshing Christian comedy ministry for special church functions and church affilated events, as well as doing strolling entertainment and children’s shows for fairs, festivals and community events.

For more information on Fuster Buskins show bookings or Fuster Buskins recorded and literary products, call 1-888-902-9709 or email fusterbuskins@aol.com.