Shayne Bartley, Junior Sisk, Elmer Burchett, and Tucker McCandless (2/23/24) - photo © Roger Black Friday night, February 23, saw a number of bluegrass music stars, family and friends come together in the Farmers Market in Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. The event
Photos of Elmer Burchett © Ted Lehmann Noted Kentucky banjo player and lifelong bluegrass sideman Elmer Burchett has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Bluegrass lovers know his work from touring and recording with Ronnie Bowman, Dale Ann Bradley, Don Rigsby, Gary Brewer,
We've followed the launch of The Banjo Cellar and Elmer's General Store in Williamstown, KY over the past year, both businesses with a bluegrass theme. They were established by Elmer Burchett and Megan McKamey, a pair of banjo pickers who saw an
We wrote last fall about the opening of The Banjo Cellar in Williamstown, KY, a joint venture between banjo pickers Elmer Burchett and Megan McKamey. There they buy, sell, teach, and repair all things banjo and bluegrass. The pair acquired two
These days, we are more accustomed to seeing news about retail music stores closing than opening, with pressure from online mega-stores making life difficult for smaller, privately-owned ventures. But in Williamstown, Kentucky a pair of bluegrass veterans have partnered to open
In the 1990s, there was a very popular sound in bluegrass featuring smooth male vocals and a polished, contemporary sound. Ronnie Bowman was perhaps the prime exemplar of this style. The projects he recorded, both with Lonesome River Band and
Some readers may remember the Kentucky-based group Summertown Road, which released a self-titled album back in 2010. The group’s lead vocalist, Bo Isaac, has reassembled several members of the band to release a new project under the name Bo Isaac
The best laid plans of mice and men... Veteran bluegrass singer Darrin Beachley had fully intended to dedicate himself to a new career in the medical field. Sure, he loved the bluegrass life, but the allure of regular paychecks and company
Jack Hicks, founding banjoist with Summertown Road, has stepped aside with Elmer Burchett jumping in to take his spot. The band was formed in 2008, and their debut, self-titled album was released on Rounder earlier this year. Bo Isaac is on
