Author: Richard Thompson

Veteran mandolin player, singer, and bandleader George Winn passed away on early Sunday evening, January 23, 2022, at the age of 88.  He was born in Kenbridge, Lunenburg County, Virginia, in 1933, and thanks to encouraging parents and the help of

Louise Tomberlain, featured singer with Carl Tipton and family for about 40 years, passed away Friday, January 21, 2022, at the age of 89. She had been in declining health for a little while, struggling with Alzheimer's disease. Louise Leonard Tomberlain

On this day …..  On January 21, 1973, the first broadcast of the Bluegrass Ramble radio show on WCNY-FM Syracuse, New York, took place. The presenter then, as now, was the award-winning Bill Knowlton.   Knowlton's experience as a broadcaster of bluegrass music

Ralph Emery, who became known as the dean of country music broadcasters over more than a half-century in both radio and television, passed away from complications after a stroke suffered in late 2021 at the Tristar Centennial Medical Center in

John Rice Irwin, cultural historian, writer and the founder of the Museum of Appalachia, passed away in Clinton, Tennessee, on January 16, 2022, at 91-years-old. He travelled the back roads and collected thousands of everyday items from the colorful mountain folk

Coincident with his recent 75th birthday, Pat Francis, one of Britain's most experienced bluegrass musicians, is retiring from stage performance. He was born in Wimbledon, a district and town of southwest London, into a home where in the early 1950s, with

Well-respected banjo picker Thomas W. 'Tommy' Neal passed away on January 11, 2022, after a very brief spell of hospice care. Born in York, Pennsylvania, he was 73 years of age. He had been known as 'Tommy' since the late

Roland White's illustrious bluegrass music career spans 65 years, and during that time he has been associated with progressive styles as well as the traditional forms.  He has played with The Country Boys (later the internationally acclaimed Kentucky Colonels), Bill Monroe

James Easter, the last surviving member of bluegrass Gospel group, The Easter Brothers, passed away on December 10, 2021. He was 89 years of age and had been admitted to hospital on November 29, 2021, then moved to ICU after

In August we featured some of the bands that performed at the recent Battlefield Bluegrass Festival, Naseby, Northamptonshire. This instalment presents five other British groups showcasing their talents during the weekend event in July.  Essex-born Dave Morris grew up in a family