Randy Smith, beloved banjo picker from Monroe, North Carolina, is a grateful man. The picker of the five-string who has played with Pinecastle recording artists, Gentlemen of Bluegrass, plus numerous regional bands, is recovering from triple bypass surgery last week. Smith
Twins! Jason Chapman, bass player with The Chapmans and co-owner of The Acoustic Shoppe, and his wife Kimberly, are celebrating the arrival of two new children. Peyton Ruth Patience Chapman and Michael Robert Chapman were born one minute apart on April
In an earlier article, John Lawless detailed the relationship between Rudy Jones and Billy Samford, and Billy keeping the Rudy Jones resophonic guitar line active following Rudy's death in 2015. A few months ago I had a chance to meet
We in bluegrass all know Ryan Paisley as the talented and unassuming mandolinist with Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass. He's also the son of the boss man, and the third generation heir apparent to the Paisley family music legacy. But
Congratulations go out to Josiah Tyree, banjo picker with The Kody Norris Show, and his exhausted wife, Cassie, on the birth of their first child. Hazel Kate Tyree was born on April 27 at 7:42 a.m. in Carthage, TN, at the Riverview
Congratulations to Andy Falco, guitarist with Infamous Stringdusters, and his lovely wife, Jasmine, on the birth of their second child. Theodore Nunzio Falco was born on April 26 in Long Island, NY at 2:36 p.m. He burst onto the scene at
If you've been thinking of learning to play bluegrass rhythm on the guitar, or spice up your backup picking if you're already a guitarist, Mel Bay Publications has a new book that may be just the ticket. Entitled Contemporary Bluegrass Backup
Theo McMillan, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter with Theo & Brenna, and Paige Park, were married on April 10 in Nashville. Paige is a fiddler and works at The Violin Shop there in town. Their wedding was hosted at the Scarritt Bennett
If you have been involved in the fretted stringed instrument world for any period of time, you will have surely heard stories about leaving a new guitar or mandolin in front of a speaker to help break it in. The
David and Marshall with Johnson Mountain Boys in London (1987) - photo by Richard Thompson and at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival (2013) - photo by Ted Lehmann In recognition of the Johnson Mountain Boys having been inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall
