The Artists

Bluegrass Unlimited first conducted a Reader’s Poll in 1967, the year after the magazine was established.  A second poll was conducted in 1971.  I asked Dick Spottswood, who was working for the magazine in those days, if he knew why the Reader’s Poll was not continued.  He replied, “In 1967 we were still trying to…

Queen Bee of Iowa Bluegrass  Lori King, band leader of Lori King and Junction 63, has been a major force in bluegrass in Iowa for more than 20 years. She served as the executive director of the Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa for 11 years, she has produced a number of bluegrass festivals and regional package…

Embarks on Next Career Chapter Photo by Terry Wyatt Considering her family history, there’s little wonder that Grammy-nominated recording artist Tina Adair ended up in the music profession. Before she was born her mom and dad, Debra and Jerry, had formed their own bluegrass band Bluegrass Edition, and at one point even owned a music…

“I was sitting with my bluegrass ensemble I teach at CU Denver and we were listening to the Bluegrass Album Band,” says bassist Greg Garrison.  The Bluegrass Album Band was a 1980’s supergroup consisting of guitarist Tony Rice, banjo-picker J.D. Crowe, mandolinist Doyle Lawson, fiddler Bobby Hicks, and bassist Todd Philips.  The group was founded…

When it comes to bluegrass venues, Nashville has long been a barren desert. For years, the only full-time bluegrass venue was the revered Station Inn.  But in the past few years that has been slowly changing, due in part to a relatively new Nashville-based bluegrass band called, appropriately, East Nash Grass, as well as a…

Like a lot of folks that grew up in the last century, the Graves family moved north from the Appalachian region looking for work. While Tellico Plains, Tennessee, was the home base for future bluegrass musician Tim Graves, his Dad decided to move the family to Michigan when he was a very young kid. During…