Obituary

Jean Cornett, who founded the Festival of the Bluegrass near Lexington, KY with her husband Bob in 1974, has passed away. She was 86 years old. She and Bob retired several years ago, but the festival remains in the family, managed

W. Scott Street III died on Sunday night, February 1, 2015. He was 70 years of age, and had been suffering this past year from the rare form of cancer that took his life. While Scott was an active banjo player in

Bill Yates, lifetime bluegrass musician, bassist with The Country Gentlemen, and friend to everyone in the bluegrass community, died tonight after several weeks in the hospital. He was 78 years old. He had been hospitalized earlier this month, suffering from a

Julia Mainer, wife and long-time musical partner of old-time country music artist  the late Wade Mainer, passed away on January 21, 2015, aged 95. She had sustained fatal injuries in a fall a few days earlier. Julia Mae Brown Mainer was

Dixie Hall, life and songwriting partner to Tom T. Hall, and a major figure in the music industry of Nashville, died last night at her home. She was 80 years old. Miss Dixie, as she was known to family and friends, had

Ozarks bluegrass DJ and MC Ray Hicks passed away yesterday, Wednesday, January 14, 2015. He was 68 years old. Born August 11, 1946, from Rolla, Missouri, Hicks was troubled by poor health in his later years, suffering a stroke in the

A death that we have only recently learned of is that of Ernest Ferguson, mandolin player with the Bailes Brothers. Ernest Charlton Ferguson (96) passed away in his sleep on the morning of October 19, 2014. He had been in declining health

Joe Carr, Texas bluegrass musician and educator, passed away yesterday (12/14) following a stroke. He was 63 years old. Joe had been dealing with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis for several years, which had limited his mobility but not his spirit and love

Radio legend Ray Davis, who hosted an afternoon show for WAMU's Bluegrass Country for many years, died yesterday evening following a bout with cancer. He was 81 years old. Ray spent 65 years broadcasting in the Washington, DC area, 28 of them

John Dopyera, Jr, son of the inventor of the Dobro guitar, John Sr, passed away on November 12. He was 85 years old. Though he wasn't a performer, he had dedicated much of his life to helping promote the instrument his father