Author: John Lawless

It's always a good time for a chat with Blake Williams, former Blue Grass Boy and popular festival MC. We caught up with him in Raleigh during the World of Bluegrass conference.  

The Kevin Prater Band has announced Rod Smith as the newest member of the group. He will play both banjo and reso-guitar with the traditional bluegrass outfit based in Kentucky. Rod had previously been a member of Cumberland Gap Connection and Ernie

Jam band heroes Leftover Salmon have a new album ready for release, and set to drop November 28. It's called High Country, a double entendre that fans of the Salmon will readily understand. The group is led by founding members Drew

Stoneman has been a magic name in country, old time, and bluegrass music since 1927. That's when Ernest "Pop" Stoneman first recorded for Victor in Bristol, Tennessee with several members of his family in what came to be known as

Stan Jay, who had managed Mandolin Brothers music store in Staten Island, NY since 1971, has died. He was 71 years old. Mandolin Brothers became known as one the nation's top brokers of vintage fretted instruments, mandolins in particular. Stan started

Jason McKendree, the talented banjo player who worked several years with Josh Williams before Josh returned to Rhonda Vincent, and his equally talented wife, Carolyn, are today celebrating the birth of their second child, Samuel Ryan Jude McKendree. He arrived at 2:58 a.m.

It's official. A second attempt will be made in August 2015 to return the Guinness World Record for Largest Mandolin Ensemble to the United States during the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. A group under the direction of Tara Linhardt set a

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley joined us during the World of Bluegrass convention to talk about their upcoming album together, Before The Sun Goes Down, which offers a mix of traditional bluegrass and country music. The pair have a show

Kentucky Thunder banjo player Russ Carson might not yet be recognized among the giants of the five string community, but it seems likely from his latest Patuxent CD, Avenue of the Giants, that he'll soon be counted in their number. This talented young picker

Ken Scoggins, bluegrass singer, songwriter, bandleader and Old Homestead recording artist, suffered a heart attack on Sunday (10/19) after having run a half marathon earlier in the day. He was admitted to the ICU at the Grand Strand Medical center in