The Tradition

When guitar legend Steve Cropper died a few months ago, the response from musicians of all stripes was unanimous. Cropper was one of the best guitarists of all time, was at the heart of the Memphis Stax sound, and was one of the important pieces of why Booker T and the MGs were such an…

Hearts were shattered in the bluegrass music world when singer/songwriter Ronnie Bowman died March 22 from injuries he suffered in a motorcycle wreck the day before on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. Friends, fans, and fellow musicians were stunned to know such a beloved gentleman would never again share that gentle smile and warm hug….

In 1976, the Japanese division of Sony Music released two monumental 10-album collections that proved to be bonanzas for collectors of classic bluegrass and country music. These collections, titled Bluegrass Jamboree and New Greatest Hits, were groundbreaking in their scope, quality, and cultural significance. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of their release, it’s…

April 5, 1959 It was on this date that the duo of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs recorded one of the most iconic songs of their careers, “The Cabin on the Hill.” The 45-rpm single release has the distinction of being their longest-running chart success, remaining on Billboard magazine’s “Hot C & W Sides” for…

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken Album In 1972, when I was a brand new teenager, my younger brother and I would do the goofy thing of getting my Mom vinyl music albums for Christmas that we really wanted ourselves. Why in the world would our Mom want an Eric Clapton…

Q: Today on Bluegrass Jamboree, I heard the Stanley Brothers’ OLD version “put your head on my shoulder.” It sounded like Ralph was doing some “Stringbean 2-finger” picking, and it was “crude” in a way, but still great. Was this 1946 or ‘47? Nothing much on the “net” on this. I still get goose bumps…