Author: Sandy Hatley

The North Carolina Arts Council has awarded teenage multi-instrumentalist, Darrius Flowers, of Pilot Mountain, NC, a $5,000 grant for emerging artists. Known for his fiddle work, the 18-year-old also plays guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass. He sings and dances as well. Darrius

Folksinger and roots musician, Michael Johnathon, host of Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, recently became the latest recipient of Tomorrow’s Bluegrass Stars Mentor Award. The Mentor Award is presented annually to individuals in appreciation for their outstanding support and encouragement of

Lorraine Jordan, Danny Paisley, and Junior Sisk at Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies - photo by Gary Hatley The tenth annual Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies is now in the books, and plans are already underway for next year's event in

Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers at the 2021 Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies - photo © Bill Warren Playing to a sold-out crowd in the Sevierville Convention Center, Larry Sparks and his band, The Lonesome Ramblers, stepped up to the

Following last year's shutdown due to the global pandemic, Lorraine Jordan was happy to return for the 10th year of her Christmas in the Smokies Bluegrass Festival. Lorraine's 91-year-old, motorcycle-riding dad, Royce Jordan, co-MCed Wednesday night's festivities with Highway 40 Bluegrass's

Celebrating ten years of music in the beautiful mountains of east Tennessee, Lorraine Jordan presents Bluegrass Christmas in the Smokies this week, December 1-4. Due to surgery, Doyle Lawson will not be able to perform on Thursday as originally planned.

Bluegrass songwriter, Billy Smith, has formed a new band, the Tennessee Plow Cleaners. The Nashville-based ensemble consists of David Talbot on banjo, Shad Cobb on fiddle, Smith on guitar, and his wife, Marilyn, on upright bass. Ironically, none of the

"I'm not lucky... I'm blessed," Nick Chandler stated firmly regarding his personal battle with COVID-19 this fall. The western North Carolina mandolinist and singer was stricken with the deadly virus in October, and spent three weeks in the hospital. "Right after IBMA, my

Carson Peters has received a lot of attention since making multiple appearances on The Voice, NBC television's singing competition, this fall. The seventeen year-old from Piney Flats, TN, was already well known in bluegrass circles for his profound fiddle work.

This week seventeen-year-old singer and fiddler, Carson Peters, was eliminated from NBC’s The Voice during the Knockout round of the singing contest. In a phone interview, the Piney Flats, TN native reflected on his experience on the nationally televised talent