Current Issue December 2025
The Tradition
Although he left us when he was far too young, at the age of 58, Don Reno made an enormous impact on bluegrass music. His work with the Morris Brothers,…
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Q: Can you please help? Since County Sales folded, I have been unable to find a good source for bluegrass CDs. Yes, I know about Amazon and Walmart, but County…
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A Life of Music, Stories, and Connections Roscoe VanBuren “Buddy” Hogan, Jr. (August 26, 1935 – October 13, 2025) was a man whose life was deeply intertwined with the world…
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In Dan Miller’s wonderful and thorough retrospective article on Don Reno found elsewhere in this edition of BU, he gets into the music side of this amazing IBMA Hall of…
Read MoreThe Artists
Bands Blurring the Lines of Bluegrass “I’m just proud that we got something down on tape that really captures the vibe of the Keel Stickley Duo,” explains guitarist Jon Stickley…
Read MoreThe Sound
A Bluegrass Pioneer:Ralph Pennington North Carolina’s Vivian Pennington Hopkins made it her mission to share the legacy of her late father, Ralph Pennington. In doing so, she orchestrated the recording…
Read MoreThe Venue
Introducing Billy Strings as the keynote speaker for the IBMA World of Bluegrass, Executive Director Ken White called him a “generational talent” and acknowledged the kind of “watershed moment” that…
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There is a sound that belongs to Raleigh each fall. It rises from downtown streets and echoes between brick buildings. It carries the bright ring of mandolins, the warmth of…
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