Obituary

Bluegrass and old-time fiddle player Arvil Freeman passed away peacefully during the early hours of Thursday morning, October 21, 2021, at 89 years of age. He is known for his distinctively personal style, with a smooth and melodic long bow

Sonny Osborne (left) at Darrington in 1987 - photo © Barry Brower/The Osborne Brothers Most musicians hope to leave a mark on the world through their art: a particularly well-written lyric, a ferocious banjo lick, perhaps even a style of playing

Kerry Hay, longtime owner and proprietor of Hay Holler Records, died at home on October 13. He was 89 years of age. He was born in Dickenson County, VA and attended Haysi High School, after which he enlisted in the Air

Phil Leadbetter, reso-guitarist and bluegrass businessman, died today after surviving five bouts with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, taken down finally by COVID-19. He was 59 years of age. He began playing the Dobro-style guitar as a teenager in his native Knoxville, TN. A

Jake Abrams, long time banjo player and bluegrass artist in Alabama and Louisiana, died on October 3 from complications of the COVID-19 virus. He was 58 years of age. A native of Tuscaloosa, Jake was living in Lake Charles, LA at

Ken Seaman, an integral part of the bluegrass community in Colorado died on Thursday, September 23. He passed quietly in his sleep, and was 79 years of age. Ken had been a founding member of The Bluegrass Patriots, who entertained bluegrass

Celebrated bluegrass fiddler Kenny Sidle died at home in his sleep on September 14 in his native Ohio. He was 90 years of age. Over a long life in music, which started at age 5 and continued well into his 80s,

Mark Varner - photo by Snap Jackson/Mark with his son, Marty Mark Varner, prominent California bluegrass musician and active volunteer with state bluegrass associations, died unexpectedly in his sleep on September 4. He was at his long-awaited retirement home in Dangriga,

Spencer Nitchie, co-owner/operator of Banjo NewsLetter, died on August 6 following a brief bout with liver and pancreatic cancer. He was 57 years of age. Since 1992, Spencer and his brother, Donald, have run the publication launched by their father, Hub,

Robert Phillip 'Bob' Everhart, multi-instrumentalist, singer, entertainer, old-time country, bluegrass, and folk artist, passed away during the evening of August 20, 2021, due to heart complications. He was 85 years of age. Bob Everhart, founder and president of the National Traditional Country