A new foundation, using WAMU’s broadcasting license, will take over broadcast and streaming operations for the long-running Washington, D.C., bluegrass institution on February 6.
An agreement between WAMU 88.5 and the Bluegrass Country Foundation will be enacted today, according to one of the participants, just days before the vaunted bluegrass transmissions were scheduled to end.
“We are overjoyed with this outcome,” said Randy Barrett, president of the DC Bluegrass Union and one of the key players in the foundation. “The outpouring of support has been inspiring.”
Added WAMU General Manager JJ Yore, “We all had the same desire, which was to have the WAMU bluegrass legacy continue. With a mutual goal in mind, we worked quickly and collaboratively so there would be no loss of service for our bluegrass community.”
In the short run, with few exceptions, bluegrass fans who listen on 105.5 FM and WAMU 88.5 HD 2 in the DC area or stream the music live at bluegrasscountry.org, will notice little difference when the changeover takes place. Many familiar voices will be heard, including Gary Henderson, Dick Spottswood, Lee Michael Demsey, Lisa Kay Howard and Al Steiner.
But one of those differences will be obvious right off the bat. Early morning DJ Katy Daley, who has been spinning songs and telling stories for decades, will retire from her show. So, too, will Bill Foster and a handful of others.
Bluegrass debuted on WAMU in 1967, but changing demographics forced station management to announce a change in direction last year. Fortunately advance notice was given so bluegrass lovers could try to raise money to take over the operations and keep bluegrass music on the air in and around the nation’s capital and online worldwide on bluegrasscountry.org.
While the life of Bluegrass Country has been spared for now, Barrett said much hard work remains.
“Now the big job starts: Funding the station going forward. There are no vacations here, for the foundation or the listeners on whom we will largely depend for support,” he said. “The biggest difference is that Bluegrass Country is no longer financially backstopped by a large institution [American University]. Whether the station lives or dies is entirely up to our listeners and sponsors. We’re truly community radio now.”
In addition to bluegrass, the foundation plans to boost its appeal to younger listeners by expanding Americana and roots music programming beyond what WAMU schedules now.
The first big fundraising push will be an April 23 concert featuring Tim O’Brien, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Danny Paisely, Larry Stephenson, Jim Hurst and others. The venue will be announced later.
“We are proud to become the stewards of such an important resource and we look forward to bringing bluegrass and related roots music to a new generation of listeners,” said Jeff Ludin, president of the nonprofit foundation.
WAMU’s Bluegrass Country has planned a full day of special programming for New Year’s Eve this weekend.
Starting at noon on Saturday, the various hosts at the station will be remembering some of their favorite moments on the air leading up to their welcome to 2017 at midnight. Some will be highlighting special moments from this years, while others, like Gary Henderson and Dick Spottswood, will be looking back at their first shows for the station many years ago.
Listeners are invited to tune in to share the memories and see what the station staff remembers from their time at Bluegrass Country before they turn things over to new management in February.
The schedule for Saturday is as follows:
11:00 a.m. to Noon – Henderson & Spottswood History Hour One
Noon to 1:00 p.m. – Henderson & Spottswood History Hour Two
1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Lisa Kay Howard
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Bill Foster
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Rosemarie Nielsen
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Fred Carter
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – Lee Michael Demsey
6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Al Steiner
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Jay Bruder
8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. – Brad Kolodner
9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Dick Spottswood
10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. – Gary Henerson
11:00 p.m. to midnight – Katy Daley
Bluegrass lovers in the Washington, DC area can listen to the Bluegrass Country signal over the air at 105.5 FM, while listeners worldwide can hear it online at bluegrasscountry.org.
It looks like there is at least one group in the DC capitol area hard at work to save their beloved bluegrass radio in the district and outlying areas.
The Bluegrass Country Foundation has been formed specifically to raise the necessary funds to continue the operation of WAMU’s Bluegrass Country after the station ceases its association on December 31. They are organized as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit, so that donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible.
In addition to Ludin, the Board has brought on Dick Cassidy, a life-long broadcaster with a wealth of experience in the technical aspects of both online broadcasting and terrestrial radio, Nelson Ford, a major contributor to Bluegras Country for many years, and area businessman Steve Herman.
Jeff says that he and the Board have confidence that they can pull this off, both in acquiring the station and running it going forward.
“I think we have a reasonable business plan that can cut some costs, and raise money in new ways that WAMU can’t.
We’ll have our first formal meeting in a week or so. The biggest discussion is how we will define bluegrass. Fundamentally, we would keep it the same, since people love the station. But we need to be open to the tastes of younger fans. We know we will ultimately have to make some changes.
Our primary focus right now is raising the money necessary to operate Bluegrass Country. We have set a fundraising goal of $200,000 before October 17.”
The initial plan, if their proposal is accepted, would be to continue to operate from the WAMU studio in Washington, while reserving the possibility of moving to one of a number of potential possible locations in time. Retaining the current on-air staff would also be a high priority, continuing to operate as a non-profit, public-type station over the air and online.
Funding Chair Randy Barrett, President of the DC Bluegrass Union, tells us that despite the big number, raising that large amount of money in a month is realistic.
“I’m pretty optimistic from a fundraising perspective. We raised $26,000 in the first few days. We’re in discussion now with several potential large-scale donors, and given how much people love Bluegrass Country in this area, I feel sure we can do it.
Part of our proposal will include a benefit concert for next spring, a mega-concert featuring top bluegrass artists. The artists have been the first to recognize the importance of keeping this going. They’ve been calling us asking what they can do to help.”
But it can only happen if people hop on board and make their donations. The total is up to $35,000 and donations can be accepted online by check or major credit card.
While nothing has been settled for them to take over operation of Bluegrass Country, the Foundation has a meeting scheduled to present their proposal to WAMU on October 17. Though many people think that the bluegrass station is for sale, this is not an accurate description of what is occurring. WAMU simply wants to end its long association with the service to focus its energies on what it sees as its core function, news and information, and plans to select a successor who can demonstrate the financial, technical, and business wherewithal to keep it going.
Should they be successful, the Bluegrass Country Foundation would be the new home, and new owner, of Bluegrass Country.
Anyone who sees value in the continuation of this 24/7 bluegrass signal, whether you would listen online or on your radio, is urged to make a contribution to the Bluegrass Country Foundation as soon as possible.
WAMU, which has provided a home for bluegrass music in our nation’s capitol since July 1967, has made the decision to switch to an all news and information format starting January 1, 2017. As a result, their bluegrass streaming service, BluegrassCountry.org, and associated HD and terrestrial radio broadcasts will terminate at that time.
The station, a NPR affiliate with ties to American University, is hoping to find new ownership for Bluegrass Country between now and the end of the year, so that the bluegrass music and the familiar voices of their on-air staff, can continue to be broadcast worldwide as before.
In an interview yesterday, WAMU General Manager J.J. Yore explained that since he arrived at the station about 18 months ago, he has been working to formulate long terms plans for WAMU going forward.
“We commissioned a strategic consulting company to help us develop a strategic plan, and one of the elements of that plan was to determine what the role and future of music would be for WAMU. Following that, we commissioned an outside company that analyzes public media companies, and asked them to help us determine what the future should be for bluegrass at the station.
Based on demographic changes in the DC market, they determined that the news and information focus was more important to area residents than music programming. We were faced with some tough choices about resources, and decided that we would look for a new owner for Bluegrass Country.”
He was also at pains to establish that they are not looking for a cash offer for Bluegrass Country, so much as a future home for the long-establish brand and the many people who work there. “What we are looking for is someone with the ability to keep this going… someone who can be a viable owner,” is how he described the search which begins today.
Katy Daley, Bluegrass Country morning host and Managing Producer added hopefully that things will go on as before for the time being.
“For 49 years, WAMU has been a strong supporter of bluegrass music, a far longer run than most of us who were here from the early days would have expected. And while saddened by the decision, I understand it and why it was made. Over the next six months while we try to identify a new owner, we’ll be as committed as ever to bring our listeners the best in bluegrass.
We ask that artists and labels keep sending us their CDs, and bands keep coming in to perform live and for interviews as they always have.”
By 5:00 p.m. today (July 7), WAMU will provide information regarding their request for proposals to assume ownership of Bluegrass Country online. They are willing to discuss plans to move all station operations to a new studio facility, or to work out rental agreements to keep the service housed within their Washington, DC operations hub. Likewise, they are open to helping new management retain the license to broadcast on 105.5 FM, a translator that they currently lease.
The HD radio channel where the broadcast currently lives is only authorized for non-commercial radio transmission, but otherwise WAMU would be open to proposals for both continued non-commercial broadcast or a switch to commercial radio.
The existing music library will be donated to the new owners, including the vast library of previous Bluegrass Country programs.
According to Yore, their primary goal is to reach an agreement with new owners that sees this popular online service continue without interruption when 2017 rolls around.
Katy reminded us of the long tradition of bluegrass in DC through WAMU by pointing out that “founding fathers” Gary Henderson and Dick Spottswood, who helped bring bluegrass to WAMU FM in 1967, still host regular shows on Bluegrass Country.
Interested parties are urged to read the Request For Proposals online. The current schedule requires that proposals be received by October 17, with opportunities to make presentations beginning a week later. Negotiations will continue through November with a new owner selected in December.
However this transition occurs, long time DC-area residents and online fans worldwide owe a debt of gratitude to WAMU for facilitating bluegrass music for so many years. Let’s all hope that new owners can be found to keep the signal going.
How do you go to an event like that and not just want to give everything you own to WAMU Bluegrass Country?
The Gibson Brothers played their hearts out a couple weeks back at the hip, new D.C. area venue, AMP, for a WAMU Bluegrass Country fundraiser. They served it up family style and delivered heaping helpings of good old deep blue bluegrass song after song. The grateful audience devoured it ravenously and begged for more with multiple standing ovations.
According to Emcee and WAMU icon, Katy Daley, the fundraiser was the band’s idea; the Brothers wanted to help out Washington, D.C.’s premier bluegrass radio source. What a great and generous idea! The packed house was testament to WAMU’s listeners’ love for authentic and stellar bluegrass. They flocked to the sweet sounds of the Gibson Brothers.
Eric’s high lonesome and Leigh’s steady true voices combined with expert picking and fiddling give the Gibson Brothers their unqualified pure sound. Eric and Leigh led the ensemble of Jesse Brock bringing heat on mandolin, Clayton Campbell providing grace on fiddle and Mike Barber dispensing flawless time on the bass. All the while Eric and Leigh held it together with sophisticated guitar and banjo picking, unbelievable harmonies and sharp showmanship. No question why their name is solidly on IBMA’s 2015 nominee list for both Entertainer and Vocal Group of the Year, categories they have won before.
The Gibson Brothers treated us to their tribute to musical brothers and their own sibling signatures. From their recent release, Brotherhood, a contender for IBMA 2015 Album of the Year that pays homage to legendary singing and strumming brothers, they immediately got things hopping with the York Brothers’ romp, Long Gone. Eric’s groovy, popping low banjo solo was answered by Campbell’s long yells from the fiddle, Brock’s light-hearted mando, and Barber’s bold bass solo. It was all bound up with Leigh’s mighty rhythm, and true to the title, together they emulated the sound of a train leaving the station. They also delighted the audience with their version of the Everly Brothers’ Bye Bye Love, to which the crowd sang along but quietly so as not to miss Eric’s and Leigh’s voices work their magic together. Eric traded banjo licks with Campbell’s tasteful fiddle runs on Jim and Jesse’s Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes. Brock’s quick, happy mandolin paired with the brothers’ layered vocals and Barber’s bouncing bass on their rendition of the Monroe brothers’ recording, I Have Found the Way made it hard for us not to rejoice. We were in church with those angelic Gibson voices washing over us. That third “Hallelujah” is just killer: certainly the blessed way.
They kept the toes tapping when covering Big Mon, which Brock picked perfectly, showing all why he is up for IBMA’s mandolin player this year. Campbell rounded that one out with a blistering fiddle solo. They all ground it out on Back Up and Push, which especially featured Campbell’s fiddling prowess. Do not let their pressed, immaculate suits fool you; these five guys can get positively gritty. It is just too cool when they hold their instruments in action stance and let them rip at just the right time.
The air in the room was thick with truth as the Gibson Brothers served up the tunes for which they are known and all came to hear. Brock’s cascading mandolin set us up for the nostalgic trip of Farm of Yesterday, and the constant banjo ping held us rapt, yearning for simpler times and the character that comes from them. Leigh displayed his soulful vocals on Safe Passage, another heartfelt tune about the Gibsons’ roots, the wishful Something Coming to Me, and Wishing Well, the lilting song of unrequited love. The perfectly blended, driving Callie’s Reel had feet bouncing and smiles galore. Digging deep banjo and hearty fiddle, matched with Eric’s low singing on Ragged Man got us, wonderfully, right in the gut. The masterful Frozen in Time grabbed us too; with that repeat of “in my mind” tightening its grip each time. Striking. They closed it out with fan-favorite, Ring the Bell. Heads nodded in testimony as Eric directed us to go ring that bell and Leigh released his rich guitar solo. Echoes of their famous refrain could be heard long after this tune’s last note.
What a show! The Gibson Brothers’ playing was impeccable, their harmonies were spot-on, their diversity was broad and the goodness they provided was as wholesome as it comes. There is a reason they win the awards time and again. When it comes to purity of sound about the things that matter, the Gibson Brothers whip that up from scratch.
Get yourself to one of their shows. Their performance will fill your soul and satiate your appetite for all things right. I just know though that you will be checking their schedule promptly for another serving not too far down the road. They are simply that good.
Andy Ridenour, who hosts a three-hour broadcast on Thursdays at WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, will be stepping away from the microphone after his stint this week on August 20.
He is suffering from tinnitus, a most annoying condition where the brain perceives a sound, usually a buzzing or ringing, when there is no external stimuli. One can imagine how unpleasant that would be while wearing headphones.
Andy has spent most of his adult life working in radio ad television and will remain with the station on a volunteer, off-air basis.
To fill his slot, Bluegrass Country will air an encore presentation of Mike Kear’s Music From Foggy Hollow from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Thursdays. Mike is a New Zealander living in Australia whose show goes out initially on Sydney’s Hawkesbury Radio, before being rebroadcast online by WAMU.
The station has also announced a few changes to their Saturday lineup.
Midnight -1:00 a.m.: last hour of Friday’s Ray Davis Show Vintage Programming
1:00 a.m. – 3:00 a.m.: American Routes
3:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.: Al Steiner Show (rebroadcast)
6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Open Mic
8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: Gary Henderson Show LIVE
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Old Home Place (Rebroadcast)
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Ramona Martinez Show LIVE
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Trail Ride LIVE
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Thistle & Shamrock
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Editor’s Picks
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Bluegrass Review
9:00 p.m. – Midnight: Brad Kolodner Show (rebroadcast)
WAMU’s Bluegrass Country can be heard in the metro DC market at 105.5 FM, HD Radio 88.5 channel 2, or via online streaming worldwide.
On July 17, 1944, bluegrass music DJ Gary Henderson was born in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Henderson has been involved with radio all his working life. In fact Henderson decided at the age of 10 that getting into radio was his ambition. His interest in the medium earned his parent’s displeasure.
“In 1954, I was in the 4th grade, and was scheduled to take an important arithmetic test that I did not study and prepare for. So I played ‘hooky’ from school, telling my mother I was sick. Mom told me to get back to bed. Out of complete boredom, I turned on the radio to our local AM radio station, WGAY, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
‘Fiddling’ Curly Smith started his hillbilly radio program playing, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, Sweetheart, You Done Me Wrong. That sealed the deal for me! The next record was by Eddy Arnold, it was OK, but I liked Monroe better. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate traditional country music, more so now. It, too, is a minority music that is ignored by radio today. So, I make an effort to include a small sampling of early country music from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s on shows I produce for WAMU’s Bluegrass Country.
Back to Curly Smith at WGAY Radio… I became a loyal listener, especially on Saturday morning when Curly invited Buzz Busby and Pete Pike for a ‘live’ in-studio, fifteen minute slot. Buzz had Donnie Bryant playing banjo. Then Benny & Vallie Cain and the Country Clan followed. On both of those ‘live’ shows, Curly would run in with his fiddle from his studio across the hall, and play a couple of numbers with the bands, then run quickly back to his studio to insert commercials. I talked my dad into driving me up to visit the station one Saturday morning. My first bluegrass band to witness through the studio glass was Buzz and Pete. The chief engineer/newscaster was Doug McDougall, and he took a lot of time to show me around the station, showing me the UPI teletype machine where he ‘ripped’ the news, the thousand watt G.E. transmitter and all the RCA broadcast consoles. I was then, convinced I wanted to get into radio, at 10 years of age.
My parents were not impressed with my vocation choice through my years of schooling. They insisted I continue my education at Montgomery College in business administration. I only lasted a year and a half, never earned my degree, I was just determined to get my first job in radio. Mother was not pleased! My first job was weekend relief at WFMD, a CBS affiliate in Frederick, Maryland. ‘Happy Johnny’ was the Saturday morning announcer, on my first day. I could not believe my luck, his ‘live’ band was Bill and Paul and the Bluegrass Travelers. Bill Berry, guitar; Paul Chaney, banjo; Bill Poffinberger, fiddle; and Carroll Harbough, bass. My first day in radio could not have enjoyed a better introduction with another bluegrass band.”
His career began in 1962 with a job at Radio WFMD in Frederick, Maryland.
From there, Henderson joined the Everett Dillard family, owners of WDON-AM/WASH-FM, playing country music. However, the Dillards fired him for playing too much bluegrass music on air, a distinction that makes him very proud.
He also worked at the commercial country radio station WKCW in Warrenton, Virginia, and at WHFS in Bethesda, Maryland.
Henderson has been collecting bluegrass and country records since he was nine years old, inspired by his radio mentor, the late Don Owens — the nationally known and respected country and bluegrass music DJ at Radio WARL in Arlington, Virginia.
In July 1967 he joined Dick Spottswood in producing the half-hour Bluegrass Unlimited radio show on WAMU-FM, begun in conjunction with Bluegrass Unlimited, the magazine that the duo helped to found as a mimeographed 12-page newsletter in the previous May.
Henderson continued bluegrass programming at WAMU in September 1973, with a four-hour Saturday morning offering. Nine months later, in June 1974, Gary inaugurated the first four-hour Sunday program of Stained Glass Bluegrass, the show that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special show at their current premises.
He has received a number of awards in recognition of his contributions to bluegrass music radio. In 1983 he was presented with the DJ of the Year award by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. In 1998, the IBMA presented Henderson with its Distinguished Achievement Award and the following year he was named the IBMA Broadcast Personality of the Year.
In 2006 he was a nominee for a place in the IBMA Hall of Fame.
Many bluegrass DJs make excellent festival and concert emcees and Henderson is very well suited to that role. His first job as an emcee was in 1967 at a bluegrass music festival at Lake Whippoorwill, Warrenton, Virginia. He continued introducing bands at the many of the major bluegrass festivals on the east coast through to the early 1980s.
And for a while in the early 1970s he was a practising musician, playing bass with Charlie Smith and the Potomac Valley Boys, based in Leesburg, Virginia.
During his 40 years working as in the radio industry Henderson engineered the first radio broadcast from the U.S. Senate Chamber during the Panama Canal debate and was the remote technician assigned to cover the Watergate hearings from the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill and many Oval Office Presidential addresses.
Currently, Henderson presents his own show on Saturday morning (8:00 am) and Monday (Noon); and Stained Glass Bluegrass (Sunday morning, 6:00am) [all times ET].
He says …….
“I love working here, now, more than ever. I love the music, I love promoting and preserving an original American art form. I love most of the listeners, and the musicians who make the music.
And as much as I am a traditionalist, and love ‘mossy’ old bluegrass, to be a responsible bluegrass broadcaster, I must play the bands that are trying to make a living playing this music today. There are only a handful of bands that are bringing in top dollar and paying their sidemen a decent wage.
The ‘B’ string of bands still hold day-jobs and/or their spouse works full-time and helps pay the bills.”
Henderson is an abiding and amiable radio presenter. Happy Birthday Gary.
When April Verch and her talented trio stopped in for a set on Lee Michael Demsey’s show at WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, Peter Swinburne and Aaron Levine captured this video of them performing the medley Midnight Wheeler from their current CD, The Newpart.
They call it that as the medley consists of roughly equal parts of Midnight Serenade and Stern Wheeler, with a dash of not-so-flat foot steppin’ and an instrument change or two.
WAMU 88.5 American University Radio has presented Stained Glass Bluegrass, their Sunday morning Gospel music show, for a little over 40 years, with the current presenter, Gary Henderson, being the person behind the mic for that first show, broadcast in June 1974. The program is the second oldest, continually, running show on WAMU-FM.
Gary Henderson remembers when the topic was first mentioned…….
“The idea first surfaced last year around June, the time of the actual 40th, but with IBMA. and other radio station commitments we had to move it to June of this year. About a year late.”
Henderson adds some interesting historical information …..
“Our initial bluegrass offering, Bluegrass Unlimited a thirty minute bluegrass show expanded to three hours, then four, on Saturday morning. I think the management named it, Saturday Morning Bluegrass. Toward the end of Bluegrass Unlimited, Dick Spottswood stepped down as host, and I took over.
After the Saturday program had been on the air, maybe five or six months, I was approached by Dru Campbell, who was the WAMU-FM business secretary, and was one of the very few staff members who enjoyed bluegrass music. She asked me what I thought about a bluegrass gospel program on Sunday morning? My response was favorable, then you guessed the next comment, “would you be interested in hosting?”
Gosh, I was already full-time as a broadcast technician at National Public Radio, a four hour bluegrass show on Saturday, now they wanted me to work seven days a week. Well, I said I would think about it.
I thought– when would bluegrass have another golden opportunity to expand to more hours on WAMU-FM? Not likely, so I caved. “Stained Glass Bluegrass”, a great name suggested by our News Director, Craig Oliver, began in June, 1974, nine months after the Saturday show.
My memory will not offer any kind of playlist, but whatever current bluegrass albums that I had in my collection was the source material. The station had no bluegrass music in its library. I had to scramble to fill three, then four hours of bluegrass gospel. So I augmented with some traditional country gospel, along with the Masters Family, The Bailes Brothers, Johnnie and Jack, and The Chuck Wagon Gang. Today, we are spoiled with a wide selection of bluegrass gospel to choose from.”
Henderson continued to present the show until late summer 1982 when the late Red Shipley took over. Shipley increased the number of listeners and the figures were boosted further by the launching of Bluegrass Country in 1982.
Internet transmissions meant that Stained Glass Bluegrass (and all the station’s other bluegrass shows) could be heard world-wide.
In 2002 Bob Webster started helping Shipley with the producing of Stained Glass Bluegrass and in September 2007 Webster became the sole host of the programme (Shipley passed away in October 2007). Webster’s tenure ended in December 2012 when he moved to North Carolina. Henderson returned to man the desk.
The intimate fund-raising concert, hosted by Gary Henderson and featuring a performance by The Larry Stephenson Band, has limited seating – just 60 tickets in all – and will begin at 1:00 p.m. It will be preceded by a reception at 11:30 a.m., a meet-and-greet with the Larry Stephenson Band members and WAMU Bluegrass Country hosts, and tours of the WAMU studios.
The award-winning Larry Stephenson Band has been entertaining audiences for over 25 years.
Stephenson has released five Gospel albums during that time, beginning with Close My Eyes to Heaven in 1991.
His latest album, Pull Your Savior In, is also an all-Gospel project and winner of the 2015 SPBGMA Album of the Year Award.
Stephenson remembers how WAMU and Stained Glass Bluegrass was part of his upbringing …….
“In the early to mid-1970s while I was in high school in King George, Virginia, I discovered WAMU. Gary Henderson was on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I had a band with my Dad and we had put out a record so we made a trip to the station and little did I know that would be the start of a wonderful relationship with one of the greatest radio stations ever for bluegrass, bluegrass Gospel and good acoustic music. Stained Glass Bluegrass came alone and Sunday mornings were a listening must!
I don’t know if I can put into words how important WAMU was to the Washington, D.C. area. Not only for the listener but for all the artists in the area who might not have ever been heard if it were not for WAMU. Myself included. Gospel music has been a big part of my band and some of my most popular songs are Gospel and I give credit to Stained Glass Bluegrass for that in the early days of my band.
Congratulations to WAMU and Stained Glass Bluegrass for 40 years. I am honored and humbled to be part of this celebration!”
To purchase tickets, priced $40.00, visit the dedicated web page, where those who cannot attend can make a donation to WAMU’s Bluegrass Country.
The concert will be recorded for later broadcast.
Bluegrass Country is a listener-supported public radio service that can be in the Washington area on 105.5FM, on 93.5FM in Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland, and around the world at bluegrasscountry.org.
WAMU’s Bluegrass Country has posted a live-in-the-studio video which they shot when The Gibson Brothers were visiting back in March.
It finds the guys performing Lone Gone from their current Rounder project, Brotherhood. They were on during the Lee Michael Demsey show, with video captured by Peter Swinburne, and audio by Aaron Levine.
This one makes a nice counterpart to the official music video which the label released in February.
