Articles

More so than in most genres of music, change is inevitable—and often frequent—in bluegrass music.  The Grascals have been around for 17 years and were known for handling change well while providing one-of-a-kind vocals from all-time great Terry Eldridge. Eldridge’s departure signaled a need to move in a different direction. The group has managed to…

When Darin and Brooke Aldridge first broke onto the bluegrass scene they quickly picked up the tag “bluegrass sweethearts.”  Now nearly a decade into a career based on warm harmonies, great song selection and the dynamic vocal range of Brooke, the group has become one of the top acts in bluegrass and a force among…

The Man Behind the Curtain “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,”is a famous line from The Wizard of Oz. Musical promoters often are the ones behind the curtain that rarely receive recognition, but without them, both musicians and fans would be at a total loss.  Milton Harkey is an important man behind…

On November 14, 1995, a Stelling Sunflower banjo—serial number 4356— began its journey from the Virginia factory to Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. Ten months later it was purchased by a banjo picker in Mill Valley, California who kept it for an indeterminate amount of time. At some point it came into the possession of my…

And Her Passion  for Teaching Megan Lynch Chowning’s career as a contest champion and recording/performing artist would be the envy of any bluegrass fiddle player.  She is a seven-time national fiddle champion, six-time California state champion and has won one or more state championships in four other states. She spent four years touring with country…

“When COVID-19 hit, it was obvious things were going to slow down,” recalled Buddy Melton, lead singer and fiddler for repeat IBMA “Entertainer of the Year” Balsam Range. “We wanted to utilize our time and be positive.” Their May 2020 release of “The Richest Man” was one enduring result of their downtime. “Under the circumstances,…