Nashville-based bluegrass singer, songwriter, and bandleader Rebekah Long has announced a break in her summer touring schedule for back surgery. Long tells us that she broke her lower back (pars interarticularis) recently, and will be having fusion surgery on July 19
Once again this month, musicians descended upon the little town of Weiser, Idaho for the National Oldtime Fiddlers Contest and Festival (NOTFC). Plenty of folks of all ages come to compete, but even more come to jam, and to meet and
Jeff Austin, mandolinist, singer, and songwriter - and co-founder of Yonder Mountain String Band and the Jeff Austin Band - died yesterday in Seattle, WA. He was 45 years of age. A "medical emergency" had been announced early Saturday morning, but
One more banjo player for the good ol' US of A! Last week Catherine "BB" Bowness, banjo player with Mile Twelve, took the oath of allegiance and was sworn in as a newly minted US citizen. The New Zealand native has
Noted southwest Virginia luthier Gerald Anderson died suddenly yesterday at his home in Troutdale. He was 65 years of age. His handmade Anderson mandolins were owned by top professional musicians well beyond the southeastern states. He also built fine flat top
Tonight, Kyle Cantrell, host of the Bluegrass Junction channel on SiriusXM, will be inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame at a celebration dinner in Nashville. Kyle has been an Sirius since 2002, but worked for many years in country
When the 2019 Bonnaroo mega-fest opened last Thursday night, festival-goers were witness to a special treat. The world famous Grand Ole Opry made the trip to Manchester, TN - about 65 miles southeast of Nashville - to broadcast live from the
Vern Young, who enjoyed a long career in country and bluegrass music, passed away on June 14, 2019. He was 95 years old and had resided in Lamar, Missouri, since 1989. Guy Lewis “Vern” Young was born in Palmyra, near Rochester,
Bluegrass music lost one of its foremost champions Friday when former DJ Dennis Jones died at a hospital in Shelby, N.C., after fighting sepsis for days. He was 62. Dennis was the longtime host of Goin’ Across the Mountain on WNCW
Kentucky Educational Television (KET), the commonwealth-wide public television network for the 15th state, has announced an August 30 PBS national premiere for their latest bluegrass music film, Big Family - The Story Of Bluegrass Music. The 2-hour documentary seeks to tell
