Articles
IssueM Articles
Bluegrass Gospel: The Music Ministry of Jerry and Tammy Sullivan
In our May 2025 issue, we printed an article by Jack Bernhardt introducing us to a bit of the history of bluegrass gospel music. Bernhardt, an anthropologist and journalist, researched the history of gospel bluegrass while preparing this new book, which focuses on the gospel bluegrass of Jerry and Tammy Sullivan, father and daughter bluegrass…
New Night Dawning
Since forming in 1978, the Italian group Red Wine has become one of Europe’s premier bluegrass bands. They have extensively performed not only in Europe, but also in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Austria, Germany, Holland, and Switzerland, just to name a few, including the United States. Based in the city of Genoa, Italy, the current band…
Think What You’ve Done
Why Carter Stanley Ranks as the No. 1 Bluegrass Songwriter Carter Stanley’s song “The Memory of Your Smile,” came on strong as Tracy Nelson picked songs for an upcoming 1972 album. Blues-rock singer Nelson grew so committed to the bluegrass number that she brought in banjo king Earl Scruggs and A-level fiddler Vassar Clements for…
It’s Been Nothing But Fun! — Hub Nitchie and Banjo Newsletter
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine August 1989, Volume 24, Number 2 In October, 1988, Banjo Newsletter, the 5-string banjo magazine, celebrated fifteen years of continuous publication. That’s one magazine a month for fifteen years! That’s 180 magazines—all devoted to the 5-string banjo. “Surely,” you ask, “can there actually be that much to say about the…
Sixty Years Ago This Month
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine July 1995, Volume 30, Number 1 [Sixty Years Ago This Month — Bluegrass Unlimited ran a column for a number of years titled “Thirty Years Ago This Month.” Now that we are in our sixtieth year of publication, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of…
Ralph Rinzler
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine August 1994, Volume 29, Number 2 Ralph Rinzler—one of the most influential figures in bluegrass, folk and old-time country music history—died on July 2,1994, at his home in Washington, D.C., after a lengthy illness. He was 59 years old. During an active life as a folklorist, promoter and musician, Rinzler…