There have been very few moments during the many years of IBMA Award Shows quite so poignant as Tony Rice’s acceptance speech this past Thursday night when he was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Despite a bit of silliness from Peter Rowan during Sam Bush’s introductory remarks, Tony mesmerized the audience when he began to speak. He started out in the customary rasp we have come to expect since Rice all but lost his voice some time ago, but the collective bluegrass world stopped breathing for a second when he announced that he would reveal the results of his recent attempts to reclaim that gorgeous instrument that redefined bluegrass in the 1970s.
It was a moment for the ages, and thanks to the video wizards at Music City Roots, we can finally share the magic with those of you who couldn’t attend in Raleigh, or follow the live stream online. We’ll all be watching this over and over for years to come.
