• Benny Williams remembered

    Our UK correspondent, Richard F Thompson, remembers Benny Williams, and recounts his long, and largely unheralded career in bluegrass and country music. Benjamin Horace "Benny" Williams: March 28, 1931 - October 11, 2007. Benny Williams died earlier this month in St Thomas

  • Red Henry – Up Helton Creek

    Our UK correspondent, Richard F Thompson, shares this review of a CD he found to be especially worthy. Red Henry has been playing mandolin since the 1960s and he soon developed into what a Bluegrass Unlimited reviewer described as "one of

  • Bluegrass Calendar 2008 Update

    I have just received my copy of the Bluegrass Calendar 2008 and noticed two 'extras' that weren't apparent from the earlier information that I had about the calendar. The calendar, whose theme is Women in Bluegrass, includes pages for November and

  • Red Shipley remembered

    Thanks to Richard F. Thompson for putting together this lovely remembrance of Red Shipley. Robert Grant 'Red' Shipley: September 4, 1937 - October 6, 2007 Legendary radio personality Red Shipley passed away in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, October 6, due to

  • Balsam Range are Marching Home

    The Clyde, North Carolina-based quintet Balsam Range has just announced the release of their debut CD, Marching Home. The band comprises Marc Pruett (banjo), Caleb Smith (guitar), Darren Nicholson (mandolin), Tim Surrett (upright bass and resonator guitar) and Buddy Melton (fiddle)

  • Bristol honors radio history

    Richard Thompson has a put together a fine report on the renaming ceremonies in Bristol honoring WCYB. Gary Reid of Copper Creek Records and Penny Parsons of the Penny Parsons Company also contributed to this story. The Farm and Fun Time

  • Time Life releases another bluegrass boxed set

    Our British correspondent, Richard Thompson, has an overview of a CD collection that was released back in August '07. Time Life has released a further collection of bluegrass recordings. Classic Bluegrass Collection is a compilation featuring three CDs of well-known bluegrass