Bob Mitchell Archives - Bluegrass Today

Bob Mitchell passes

Robert W. “Bob” Mitchell died on January 26 in Louisville, KY following a bout with COVID-19 that he developed after undergoing surgery. He was 83 years of age.

Bob was a popular bluegrass radio personality in and around Louisville, where he hosted a regular program on WFPK, Best of Bluegrass. Listeners will remember his familiar opening to each show… “You’re listening to BOB, and B-O-B stands for Best of Bluegrass!”

Mitchell was recognized with a nomination for Bluegrass DJ of the Year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) four times, and had archived nearly 600 programs at WFPK at the time of his passing.

As often as was possible, Bob would include interviews with bluegrass artists on Best of Bluegrass, and would go to some lengths to make himself available when touring artists were passing through Louisville, arranging studio time at odd hours to accommodate artist schedules. And he always tried to get photos taken of himself in the studio with his musical guests, most of whom also performed live for the show. Over the years Bob put together quite a collection of photos which he genuinely prized.

Though he was a bluegrass fan since he was a boy, Bob didn’t get involved in broadcasting until after he retired from a career in social work, which had included many years as a career trainer and public speaker. The Kentucky Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers bestowed their Lifetime Achievement Award on Mitchell in 2006, and the Kentucky Counseling Association inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2009 as a professional speaker and trainer.

Bob played guitar and sang, and recorded an album of his humorous songs back in 1995, Some Days This Place is a Zoo, supported by Gary Brewer & The Kentucky Ramblers. He also contributed album reviews to a number of publications during his life, including Bluegrass Now, Bluegrass Music Profiles, and Louisville Music News.

His friendly demeanor and willingness to help out wherever he could is what will be remembered by his radio colleagues, and the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum honored him with a Lifetime Membership following his five years of volunteer service helping them launch their Radio Bluegrass International service some years back.

Bob will be deeply missed by his wife and children, and many good friends in the bluegrass world.

A Celebration of Life and Memorial Mass will be held at a later date, to be announced, once concerns about COVID-19 spread are abated. The family requests that any memorial donations be made to Louisville Public Media.

R.I.P., Bob Mitchell.

Bob Mitchell reaches 500 shows on B.O.B.

Bob Mitchell with Sam Bush and Rhonda Vincent

Bob Mitchell, host of Best of Bluegrass (B.O.B.) on WFPK in Louisville, KY, is set to reach a major milestone this weekend when the several stations who air the program run episode #500.

Mitchell is proud to have served as a volunteer DJ all this time, motivated by his love for the music, and the people that make it. And we are proud to have him among the radio programmers who report to our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart.

More than 80 of these programs have been one-on-one interviews with top bluegrass artists, like Dailey and Vincent, Claire Lynch, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Chris Jones, Becky Buller, The Lonesome River Band, Michael Cleveland, Special Consensus, The Po Ramblin’ Boys, and many others.

Bob shared this quick overview of his involvement with the music, and how that led him being on the radio.

“I’ve loved music my entire life. Some of my earliest childhood memories include sitting in front of a radio. I fell in love with country music and big band. When I was in grade school, I borrowed an old guitar from a cousin and I used pennies for picks (that’s mighty hard on strings).

As a child, I rode my bicycle to downtown radio stations, department stores, and used car lots hear country and bluegrass music. Many of the artists I heard and met are now members of the Hall of Fame.

I went to every country concert I could and I saw Hank Williams Sr. at a local baseball park. (The price of admission was one box top from a patent medicine.) At that time, country music, western, and bluegrass were all in the same category and it was frequently called hillbilly. I met and heard Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Johnny Cash, and too many others to name.

I’ve played a guitar since the 1950s, i.e., bluegrass, traditional country, big band, rock-a-billy, Celtic, and folk. I love all of it. I’ve played in churches and bars – even on a steamboat. During and after college, I played guitar in a 12 piece dance band.

About 30 years ago, at a bluegrass concert, the co-editor of Louisville Music News asked me if I would be interested in writing reviews. Eventually, I was writing for LMN, Bluegrass Now, and Bluegrass Music Profiles. In 2010, I was featured as the DJ of the Month in Bluegrass Music Profiles.

A friend of mine (Berk Bryant) had a weekly bluegrass program on local public radio (WFPK-FM) and he allowed me to read reviews and play tracks from new releases. During one of his programs, he asked me if I would like to be a DJ with a show of my own. I said, ‘Yes,’ and he told me to advise administrative staff. I did and eventually, I was allowed to be a substitute program host when he was out of town or ill.

About 2007, I was in Owensboro, KY on a business trip and stopped by the bluegrass museum. I was invited to a pizza lunch the following day, and they discussed their new 24/7 streaming radio station and wondered how they were going to fill the time. I asked to be considered as a DJ and gave them a CD of a program I hosted on public radio. Within several days, they gave me a weekly two hour program. At that point, I went to WFPK-FM to request the use of a studio. Stacy Owen, Program Director, and Louisville Public Media allowed me to use a studio to record the weekly program.

Best of Bluegrass (BOB) began on Radio Bluegrass International in March 2008. The streaming service ended in May 2013 when the Museum began a major fund raising campaign in preparation for its move into a new location. Gabrielle Gray, former Director, suggested I offer my show to interested broadcasters at no cost. I did … and the rest is history.”

The 2-hour show can be heard on 13 stations, on AM, FM, and online. Online listeners can hear the show on Saturday (11/4) from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on The Bluegrass Jamboree, and it will also be broadcast on WCHQ at 100.9 FM in Louisville, which can be heard online.

Mitchell also archives his shows online.

Becky Buller – Live at WFPK

On August 2, Becky Buller and her talented band made a stop in Louisville, KY and visited the studios of WFPK-FM for an interview and live performance for Bob Mitchell and his Best of Bluegrass radio program.

The show is set to air starting this weekend on the 12 stations that carry Bob’s program, spanning 10 different states with one in London on either FM radio or Internet broadcast. Mitchell is one of our earliest and most loyal reporters for the various Bluegrass Today radio charts, and a two-time nominee for the SPBGMA Bluegrass DJ of the Year.

You can catch this next show Saturday (8/18) on The Bluegrass Jamboree via live streaming from 5:00-7:00 p.m. (EDT), or on WCHQ-FM over the air at 100.9 FM in Louisville, or streaming online from 7:00-9:00 p.m. It will include the roughly 45 minute performance/interview with Becky and her band, plus another hour and 15 minutes of recent recordings by the best in bluegrass.

Or you can watch Buller’s portion here in this video which was broadcast on Facebook Live a couple weeks back.

Ned Luberecki is on banjo, Dan Boner on guitar, Nate Lee on mandolin, and Dwayne Anderson on bass.

Here are a few photos Bob grabbed when he had them in the studio.

Emi Sunshine on with Bob Mitchell this weekend

Old time singer and Americana artist Emi Sunshine will be the guest this on B.O.B, Best of Bluegrass with Bob Mitchell, one of our reporting DJs for the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay chart.

The 13 year old Tennessean was Bob’s studio guest in late September at the studios of WFPK-FM in Louisville. There she talked with Mitchell about her career as a performer, and sang a few songs accompanying herself on her ukulele. Emi has made quite a hit on stages all over the country for her distinctive voice, winning smile, and charming personality.

Mitchell also archives his shows online.

He sent along a few photos from Emi’s time with him in the studio.

Congratulations to Bob Mitchell for 400

Persistence can count for a lot, even when skills may be lacking. But when you add that diligence to passion, opportunity, and capability, great things can happen.

In bluegrass we find many examples of people who dedicate time and energy to the cause, not for the multi-figure incomes it generates, but simply for the love of the music and the people who make it.

Here’s an example that comes our way from Louisville, KY, bluegrass country you might say, where this weekend, bluegrass broadcaster Bob Mitchell will mark his 400th edition of Best of Bluegrass on WCHQ in Louisville. Bob makes regular play of the fact that he and his program share the same initials (B-O-B), which you’ll hear mentioned throughout each show.

His 400th broadcast is set for this Saturday, June 10, running two hours and aired over a number of stations and online networks over the weekend. A 30-minute edition is also archived online should you miss it live. The most recent archive features an interview with David Parmley who spoke at length with Bob about his return to bluegrass, his new band, Cardinal Tradition, and the early days with The Bluegrass Cardinals.

Mitchell has had the bluegrass bug since he was a boy, though he didn’t start in radio until 2008 when he volunteered at Radio Bluegrass International, then a service of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro. But he stuck with it, and found himself nominated as Bluegrass DJ of the Year in the 2017 SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards.

“Music has always been a part of my life. As a child, I rode my bicycle to downtown radio stations, department stores, used car lots, and concert venues to hear country and bluegrass music. Many of the groups I heard and met were the first generation artists who set the ground rules and who are now members of the Hall of Fame. I got my picture taken with Bill Monroe in 1975 and Johnny Cash in the 1950s. Unfortunately, I did not have a camera when I met Flatt and Scruggs. I now have 5 albums filled with photos and autographs.”

Bob is also one of our reporting DJs for the Bluegrass Today Weekly and Monthly Airplay charts.

Congratulations to Bob Mitchell for 400 editions of Best Of Bluegrass! Here’s to another couple hundred more.

Special C’s side trip to Louisville

When Special Consensus made the journey to Shepherdsville, KY last week for a show in Gary Brewer’s Friday Night Bluegrass Series, the band took a side trip to Louisville to make a guest appearance on Bob Mitchell’s Best Of Bluegrass program, recorded at WFPK-FM.

The guys played several songs in the studio and chatted with Mitchell about their recently-concluded European tour and their success at September’s IBMA Awards where they won the organizations Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year for the version of the reso-guitar classic, Fireball, recorded with Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley, and Alison Brown.

Their performance and interview will be part of this weekend’s Best Of Bluegrass, which broadcasts on nine stations on different times and dates. It airs from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (EST) on WCHQ-FM in Louisville at 100.9 FM, and online at crescenthillradio.com. Past shows are also archived there after airing.

Bob shared these images of Special C with him in the studio and at The Shepherdsville Barn later on the evening of the 18th.

Special Consensus is Greg Cahill on banjo, Rick Faris on guitar, Nick Dumas on mandolin, and Dan Eubanks on bass.

C.F. Bailey & Shadow Ridge on Best of Bluegrass

This report comes from Bob Mitchell, host of Best of Bluegrass on WCHQ in Louisville, KY. He is one of the reporting radio hosts for our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Chart. Look for this show to be broadcast in the next few weeks.

C.F. Bailey & Shadow Ridge stopped by Best of Bluegrass last weekend. Formed in 2001, this five-piece band from East Tennessee specializes in solid hard-driving traditional and Gospel bluegrass. They are one of numerous unsung bands that has enjoyed success by sticking to the original sounds established in the 1950s. It’s a sound Bailey says, “Is the high lonesome sound as it is meant to be heard.”

The band performed at the 13^th annual Bluegrass 101 festival in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Between their 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. concerts, they hopped on I-65 and drove to Louisville to appear on my program, roughly 30 minutes each way. Such is the dedication of many bluegrass artists.

Band members include C. F. Bailey (lead vocals & guitar), Johnny Siler (banjo), Travis Sutton (bass), and Jonathon O’Neal (mandolin). The band has released 5 albums and C.F. Bailey also recorded an album with Monroe Fields.

Here are a few photos of Shadow Ridge at the radio station and at the festival. Looks like “C.F.” had a good time as he danced to the music of David Davis and the Warrior River Boys. The 2016 festival season is drawing to a close, so, if possible, get to a festival near you and support live bluegrass.

Po’ Ramblin’ Boys on Best of Bluegrass

In 2015, it took the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys 10 days to perform in 5 European countries, but on May 15, 2016, the red hot Boys made a stop in Louisville, KY and found a way to be in two places at the same time.

Actually, it was easier than you might think because they appeared on two radio programs that originate from the same building. Louisville Public Media is home to 3 full time radio stations, a performance studio, and 3 production studios.

Since 1989, Berk Bryant, “The Country Gentleman,” has hosted Sunday Bluegrass, a weekly 3 hour show on WFPK-FM. Just down the hallway is a production studio where Bob Mitchell, one of our Bluegrass Today reporting DJs, records a syndicated weekly 2 hour show called Best of Bluegrass.

Bryant, an occasional festival MC, knew two of the Boys because of their work with “Tommy Brown and County Line Grass” and asked the group to appear on his show. After a studio visit was confirmed, Bryant (a longtime friend of Mitchell) suggested PRB might be willing to be a guest on both programs and they agreed.

It was a busy day for the Boys. They had performed in Mount Washington, KY in the early evening, drove about hour to Louisville, recorded a 30 show with Mitchell, had a 10 minute break, went down the hall and were on the air live with Bryant for another hour. The left the station about 10:30 PM to return to their homes – and they did it all without taking time to have their dinner. That is dedication to the music and their fans.

You can hear their live set on Best of Bluegrass this Saturday, June 28, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (EST) online or at WCHG 100.9 FM.

Ma Crow and the Ladyslippers visit Louisville

Ma Crow and the Ladyslippers have been busy. Recently, the all-female band from Cincinnati, OH made a stop in Louisville, KY to appear on two radio programs in the same night. Actually, it was easier than you might think as both programs originate from the same building. Louisville Public Media is home to 3 full time radio stations, a performance studio, and 3 production studios.

Bryant, an occasional festival MC, met Ma Crow at such an event and asked the group to appear on his show. After a studio visit was confirmed, Bryant (a longtime friend of Mitchell) suggested Ma Crow might be willing to be a guest on both programs. She agreed and here they are in action.

Ma Crow leads the band on guitar and vocals, with Margie Drees on fiddle, Trina Emig on banjo and mandolin, and Vicki Abbott on bass. Crow is a legendary acoustic artist in the Cincinnati area, a CAMMY (a Cincinnati Grammy) award winner, and has been nominated several times for the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards.

You can hear their live set on Best of Bluegrass this weekend at WCHG 100.9 FM in Louisville from 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Saturdays.

Here are a few more photos of The Ladyslippers’ visit to Louisville Public Media.

300 shows for Bob Mitchell

Congratulations to Bob Mitchell, one of the radio hosts who contributes regularly to our Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Chart, celebrated a milestone last week when he broadcast his 300th edition of BOB (Best of Bluegrass).

His DJ career began in 2008 on Radio Bluegrass International which was streamed from the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY. These days he broadcasts from WCHQ FM in Louisville and WKWC FM in Owensboro. The show is also made available online through The Bluegrass Mix and The Bluegrass Jamboree.

Bob shared some program details with highlights over this past 7 years and 300 shows…

Over the years, his program offered over 50 special programs – for example – a labor day salute to working men & women – worldwide bluegrass music month – all humor to celebrate national humor month and April fool’s day – lady’s day (every song from a female artist) – a program to honor teachers and acknowledge the educational aspect of bluegrass music (every song had a message or lesson) – the blues in bluegrass – coal mining – “Bluegrass goes Country” with one hour tribute to Hank Williams – and an Easter program featuring all gospel songs related to the crucifixion and resurrection.

There were six tribute programs to showcase the life and music of one artists – Bill Monroe – Earl Scruggs – Tom T. Hall – Ralph Stanley – Pete Goble – and Liz Meyer (with all European or Canadian artists).

47 artists have been studio guests including Dailey & Vincent, Claire Lynch, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, The Lonesome River Band, The Roys, Rebecca Frazier, Michael Cleveland, Becky Buller, David Davis & the Warrior River Boys, Donna Ulisee, Tony Holt & the Wildwood Valley Boys, & Valerie Smith.

Mitchell invites broadcasters and program directors who may be interested in carrying the two hour, commercial free program (at no cost), and artists who are interested in submitting their music, to contact Mitchell at bobmitchelldj@twc.com.

Well done, Bob. Here’s to 300 more!