Illinois fiddler and bluegrass promoter George Portz passed away on January 9, 2023, from a heart attack, just two days after his last performance – at the Missouri Area Bluegrass Committee’s (MABC) Winter Festival, Eureka. He was 70 years old. Since
Longtime Ohio-based musician/singer/songwriter, Edward "Beanpole" Efaw, 92, passed away on January 17. He had led The Bluegrass Mountaineers for more than four decades before retiring. His son, Larry, shared, "I couldn't ask for a better dad. He loved us all and
Vivian Williams, fiddler, composer, recording artist, and writer, passed away on January 6, 2023 at the age of 84. She had been suffering with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), aka Lou Gehrig's disease, for a few years. Vivian Tomlinson Williams was
Grady Hockett, 81, of Greensboro, NC, passed away January 5. A longtime guitarist, dobroist, banjoist, singer, and songwriter, he was also the proprietor of the Rand Ol' Opry, a live music venue in Liberty, for many years. His love affair with
Co-founder of the California Bluegrass Association (CBA), Carl Pagter passed away on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in Virginia. He was 89 years old. Carl Richard Pagter was born on February 13, 1934, in Baltimore, and helped to form the San
Bluegrass has lost another of its fold. Western North Carolina multi-instrumentalist, Jeff Davis, of Marion, passed away suddenly this weekend at 52. His biggest gig was playing mandolin for Charlie Waller in the Country Gentlemen, but Davis grew up performing
Ian Tyson photo © Peter Scoular (used by permission) Celebrated Canadian folk singer and songwriter Ian Tyson has died today at 89 years of age. Though his career was focused on folk music, a number of Tyson's songs have been memorably recorded
Banjo player Troy Brammer passed away on December 11, 2022, at the age of 90. Troy Shirley Brammer was born on July 24, 1932, and raised in Patrick County, Virginia, but settled and lived the rest of his years in Collinsville,
Writer, singer, songwriter, and popular Nashville personality Peter Cooper has died following a serious head injury sustained over the weekend. He was 52 years of age. For years Cooper wrote about music for Nashville's paper, The Tennessean, and moved to the
Dudley Murphy, top-rated flatpick guitarist with Radio Flyer, passed away on Saturday, November 19, 2022. He was 82 years of age. Born on April 16, 1940, in Danville, Kentucky, Murphy's interest in music began during his high school days in
