• James Easter passes 

    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

  • Merle Monroe is now The Tim Raybon Band

    Merle Monroe, the popular bluegrass band founded by Tim Raybon and Daniel Grindstaff, is rebranding as The Tim Raybon Band going into 2022. It's not as a result of any fallout between Tim and Daniel, or Daniel leaving the group, as

  • Pete Corum passes

    Photo of Pete Corum on the left courtesy of Jim Beaver. Pete Corum, perhaps best known for his time with bluegrass great Lester Flatt & the Nashville Grass during the mid-1970s, passed away on December 1, 2021. He was 73. From Burlington,

  • Gary Scruggs passes

    Gary Scruggs, Grammy winner, songwriter, musician, and eldest son of the late Earl and Louise Scruggs, passed away on December 1, 2021. He was 72 years of age.  Gary Eugene Scruggs who was born on May 18, 1949, in Knoxville, Tennessee,

  • More from opening day at Christmas in the Smokies

    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