Happy New Year! I believe I said that last week, but I figure if I say it often enough it has a better chance of being true. It's time for a New Year's tradition around here, and that is our annual
Opinion / Humor
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Ask Sonny Anything… on Tony Rice, Merle Travis, and the goatee
Good morning Chief. What a strange and sad week we've all had, both here in Nashville with the bombing, as well as the larger worldwide music community with the loss of Tony Rice. You had several questions about him, which
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From The Side of the Road… Goodbye 2020
This will be extremely short, just as I hope and pray the end of 2020 is. I was going to list all of the most positive developments of 2020, and that was even shorter than this column is. Instead I've composed
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On the Gravity of Tony Rice
This reflection on the importance of Tony Rice in contemporary bluegrass is a contribution from Reed Jones, bass player and songwriter with Audie Blaylock and Redline. We thank him for these insights. The evolving story of bluegrass music is punctuated by
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Ask Sonny Anything… Merry Christmas from The Chief!
Greetings, Chief and Happy Holidays. I hope you and Judy have a wonderful Christmas. I know your many fans and friends will be opening gifts this Christmas morning and taking time to enjoy the bluegrass memories you share with all
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From The Side of the Road… odd Christmas traditions of the bluegrass stars
It's well known among those who keep track of obscure Christmas traditions (almost no one), that once you do something, anything, in two consecutive years during the holidays, you have started a Christmas tradition which you will then have to
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Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about your Guitjo getting stolen
Good morning Chief and welcome to Time Machine Day! Enjoy the trip and don't forget to come back...we need your answers to these questions! Terry ====== Red Allen story... When we worked at The Wheeling Jamboree in 1957, The Louvin Brothers had voluntarily
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From The Side of the Road… bluegrass paternity settled, once and for all
Just after the 2020 presidential election was called (the first time), I wrote a column here about how we'd all need to find new subjects to argue about just to keep us off the streets, or off of Facebook, Twitter,
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Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about Tater Tate
Good morning Chief! I hope all finds you well and staying safe in these perilous times. In going through the many questions your fans sent this week, I'm continually reminded of the friendships, love, and respect you've built in your
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The real Father of Bluegrass: Bill Monroe or Earl Scruggs?
This response to our article last week, Who’s the real Father of Bluegrass, is a contribution from Richard D. Smith, a mandolin player based in Somerset County, NJ, and the author of Bluegrass: An Informal Guide and Can't You Hear Me