The Tradition

Q – What can you tell us about “Those Two Mirthquakes of Fun” called Shufly and Buckeye Sneezleweed who appeared with Bill Monroe at several shows in 1949? Joe Ross, Roseburg, Oregon. A – An advertisement for an October 21, 1948, show by Bill Monroe in West Helena, Arkansas, revealed Buckeye Sneezleweed to be Mac…

The story of one of America’s greatest bluegrass bands begins in Maine in the French-speaking home of Eric and Mildred LeBlanc. The LeBlanc family was of French-Canadian stock from New Brunswick, Canada, and they were a musical lot. Three of the LeBlanc sons were especially musical. Sometime around 1950, the family began using the Anglicized…

Bluegrass Original Photos from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine archives Some bluegrass enthusiasts like to argue about how and when bluegrass music, as we know it today, was founded and by whom. Some will say that it was founded and developed by Bill Monroe.  There is certainly a good solid argument for that point of view.  Regardless…

Q – Did the Stanley Brothers, or Ralph Stanley for that matter, ever record with a Dobro? I’ve got just about everything the Stanley Brothers recorded, including the Rich-R-Tone stuff, the Columbia, Mercury, and King recordings. I don’t remember them recording with a Dobro. Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs pre-mid ‘50s, and Reno…

Robert Caldwell “Bobby” Hicks (July 21, 1933 – August 16, 2024) was at the forefront of bluegrass fiddling for nearly 70 years. He logged time with many of the top names in bluegrass and country music including Jim Eanes, Bill Monroe, Porter Wagoner, Las Vegas entertainer Judy Lynn, and Ricky Skaggs. While many admired him…

Alan Munde, Katy Daley and Jerry Douglas Talk About Receiving the Good News Music awards are a good way to capture a moment in time in an industry. While always subjective, with the nominations and results debatable, the positive side of awards and award nominations is that it gives music lovers a chance to hear the…