Last week at the 50th annual Dove Awards in Nashville, Joe and Daniel Mullins received a special honor, the Radio Impact Award, for their work on the syndicated weekly bluegrass Gospel program, Front Porch Fellowship. Joe is the show’s host, which his son, Daniel, produces.
Both Mullinses are well-known in the bluegrass world, Joe as the fearless leader of The Radio Ramblers, who have been touring the US for years and producing quality recordings of traditional bluegrass music, and Daniel for his work on radio, as a writer in our industry, and as a tireless promoter of our music. Joe has been a noted broadcaster for many years himself, and runs RealRootsRadio, a syndicate of several radio stations in Ohio who air bluegrass, Gospel, and traditional county music.
Joe also serves as the Chair of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Board of Directors. His dad, Paul “Moon” Mullins was an iconic performer as well – and a broadcaster – who toured with Joe in tow in the 1990s as The Traditional Grass. In short, this is a legit bluegrass family.
Joe and Daniel took over this popular syndicated program, now heard on over 200 radio stations, in 2015 when its founder and creator, Les Butler, retired. They have retained the focus on the Gospel side of bluegrass.
Joe tells us that he doesn’t take his responsibility on air lightly.
“We have been connected to the Salem Radio Network for just over 4 years. It’s a great privilege to be the voice of bluegrass to the majority of the southern Gospel music world. Salem owns Singing News Radio – their network format heard on dozens of Gospel music stations nationwide. Our weekend music program, Front Porch Fellowship, is heard on ALL of those stations, plus over 140 other radio affiliates throughout the US. Some are country stations, some Gospel and other formats. Total reach is over 200 stations receiving our weekly hour of Bluegrass Gospel music.
Daniel produces the program and I am the host. It’s a wonderful blessing to keep the larger Gospel music world familiar with current groups, and we also include classics from the bluegrass Hall of Fame artists. Daniel also gets to host a spotlight segment several months out of the year, interviewing artists and featuring their Gospel songs. Our program has allowed the Gospel industry to hear Rhonda Vincent, Larry Cordle, Grasstowne, the artists on the award-winning Rick Lang album this past year, and more.
I am thankful they recognized the program at the 50th annual GMA Dove Awards – we were blown away!”
Daniel likewise expressed gratitude for the Radio Impact Award.
“It’s a huge honor for sure, and we are grateful to the Gospel Music Association, Singing News Radio, and all of the affiliates who carry the program each week. Also a big shout out to the network’s former program director, Greg Goodman. He taught us a lot about how to take what we are used to doing on a local level in southwestern Ohio, and adapt it to a nationally syndicated radio program. We are extremely shocked and blessed by this honor.”
We have always believed here at Bluegrass Today, that the only thing stopping bluegrass from being more popular is the fact that so many people don’t get to hear it. Hats off to Joe and Daniel Mullins, and Singing News Radio for doing something about that.
