Each year, the IBMA Industry Awards recognize the brightest stars on the business side of bluegrass, and the 2025 awards are now in the books. 

Mike Bub MCed the event, and following his opening remarks, Becky Buller and Nancy Cardwell took the stage to discuss the IBMA Foundation. The duo presented the statistics for how many artists, students, and individuals the foundation was able to help over the past year through their funding, grants, and scholarships, coming to fifty eight people in total. Seven Bluegrass in the School grants, five college scholarships, nine Fletcher Bright Memorial Grants, eight Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grants, fifteen project grants, six JAM grants, and eight Arnold Shultz Fund grants were awarded to musicians and camps across the country. The foundation hosted multiple events over the past year geared around presenting college bands and giving them a place and platform to promote their music, including two that will happen this Friday at IBMA Bluegrass Live!. During their segment, Nancy was recognized for her thirty years of service with the IBMA, as an employee, Executive Director, board member, and a member and executive director of the foundation. “Thank you very much. This has been the best board I’ve ever worked with,” she told the audience before receiving a well-deserved, thunderous standing ovation. 

Following the IBMA Foundation segment, California Bluegrass Association Executive Director Pete Ludé took the stage to introduce the CBA’s sponsored performance for this year’s show. “It is my real pleasure to welcome this next band,” he began, “They hail originally from the great state of North Carolina, but relocated to the bluegrass capitol of Chicago. We consider them honorary Californians and hope to see them out there sometime soon… join me to welcome, as of yesterday, Dark Shadow Recording Artists, the Sullivan Sisters!” This all-high-school group has popped up at showcases across the conference this year, and appeared on the Bluegrass Ramble. Their three song performance provided a window into their exploratory take on traditional bluegrass sounds and original songwriting. 

When the performance came to a close, Mike Bub returned to announce the first award of the day, for Graphic Designer of the Year. Among this year’s nominees were Andrea Roberson, Audrey Fletcher, Carla Wehbly, Gina Dilg, and Rebekah Speer. Gina Dilg took home the award for 2025. “This is totally surreal; thank you so much! Many thanks to the IBMA and to the artists and merchants that trust me with their work.”

The next segment opened the Distinguished Achievement Award presentations. Alan Aurthur Knoth, better known to his audience as Cuzin’ Al, was the first Distinguished Achievement honoree, and Pete Wernick was on hand to present the award. “He’s what I call a lifer,” Pete said. “Bluegrass was high up on his list of priorities.” Cuzin’ Al was a broadcaster, MC, and promoter in the Northern California region who almost singlehandedly helped to foster and grow a strong bluegrass presence on the West Coast airwaves. He began his work in 1970 at KFAT where he broadcast a mix of pioneering artists, emerging bands of the era, live performances from local groups, and even comedy routines. Come 1990, this well-established bluegrass personality had moved his show to KPIG, an early player in the online radio market. Cuzin’ Al’s son and grandson, Matt Knoth and Charles David Lepus, were there to accept their father and grandfather’s award. “We’re honored, thrilled, and extremely proud to accept this award,” Matt said, “Cuzin’ Al taught me to love music and do so passionately… I’m proud to call him my father.” They ended their acceptance speech with a twist on Al’s classic sign off, “Time flies like an arrow,” Matt started, “and fruit flies like Chattanooga,” Charles finished. 

Photographer of the Year was presented next. Sophie Clark, Laci Mack, Kevin Slick, Jason Tanner, and Madison Thorn were up for the award, and it went to Nashville’s Madison Thorn. “Thank you to my brothers, chosen family, and Mr. Flux; without them, none of this would be possible.” Madison went on to share a heart-felt message about holding on to hope and a dream, a lesson she learned from the New Grass Revival song, Hold to a Dream.

The presentation of Liner Notes of the Year followed. Nominees included, Becky Buller for the notes from her album, Jubilee, Rachel Baiman for her contributions to Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Daniel Mullins for his work on Rhonda Vincent’s Destinations and Fun Places, Neil V. Rosenberg for his introduction to Tony Trishka’s Earl Jam, and Ben Eldridge, Dough McKelway, Dudley Connell, Lou Reid, Ronnie Simpkins, Ron Stewart, and Fred Tavers for their notes on Remains to Be Scene. The award would go to none other than Neil V. Rosenberg for the Earl Jam liner notes. Dr. Richie Brown accepted the award in Neil’s absence, and delivered his twenty-five word statement: “I’m honored to thank Tony Trischka and Down the Road Records for inviting me to create the notes for this ground-breaking project.”

Then, Gary Reid presented the Distinguished Achievement Award to Penny Parsons. “Her contributions [to this music] have elevated the genre, preserved its history, and aided its growth,” Gary began as he recounted Penny’s rather storied career as a writer, promotor, producer, publicist, manager, booking agent, and sales and marketing director. Penny Parsons is the advocate for bluegrass music. Throughout her career working with major players in the industry like Sugar Hill Records and Bluegrass Unlimited, her goal has been to present and preserve bluegrass music in the best, most effective manner possible. As Gary said, she has successfully merged “passion with professional expertise.” “Her life-long dedication to the music had preserved its legacy, elevated its artists, and broadened its reach,” Gary closed as he invited Penny to accept her award. As she mounted the stage, she received a standing ovation from the audience. “Well, my bluegrass life began September 16, 1972,” Penny said before she recalled and thanked those who had made a great impact on her life and career, including Curly Seckler and his family. “Bluegrass music became my passion, and I’m extremely fortunate that it became my life’s work as well.”

The nominees for Sound Engineer of the Year were announced next. Scott Barnett, Eddie Faris, Clay Miller, Stephen Mougin, and Rebekah Speer were among this year’s nominees, and the award went to Stephen Mougin. Mojo was not on hand to accept the award as he was playing with Sam Bush and the Louisville Orchestra, but his son, Sammy, who was also helping present the awards for the show, accepted in his dad’s place. “He would like to thank all his mentors who led him here… It’s been an honor to know and call him my greatest mentor,” Sammy shared. 

Sidley Austin LLP was the next Distinguished Achievement Award recipient, and Paul Schiminger presented it to them. Sidley Austin is a global law firm who has supported and navigated the IBMA through all matters legal since 2015, but it was Holly Gregory who helped to foster that connection. “The expertise she and her colleagues have provided has been transformative,” Paul shared. And not only did they provide transformative guidance and counsel for IBMA to help the organization become a 501c3, receive and give grants, and allow for visas for international bands, Sidley Austin did it all without charging the IBMA a single dime. Over the years they have been partnered with IBMA, they have provided one-point-five million dollars worth of services at no cost. As Paul said to begin his speech, “Sometimes extraordinary people work behind the scenes.” This has certainly proven true of Sidley Austin LLP. “On behalf of Sidley Austin and the entire Sidley team, thank you all so much for this incredible recognition,” Holly Gregory said as she accepted the award. 

Event of the Year would be awarded next. This year’s nominees included DelFest, the Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Hartford’s Mammoth Marathon, High Mountain Hayfever, and Jerry Garcia – A Bluegrass Journey. The Earl Scruggs Music Festival of Mill Spring, North Carolina would claim the title of Event of the Year. “This is so exciting; thank you, it’s truly an honor. When we started this festival several years ago, we knew one thing for certain: we wanted to create a really special event to celebrate Earl Scruggs, his legacy, and the way his music still inspires us all,” was the acceptance shared on behalf of the entire Earl Scruggs Music Festival Team. 

The Songwriter of the Year presentation followed. Becky Buller, Brenna MacMillan, Jon Weisberger, Rick Lang, and Thomm Jutz were the nominees, and Jon Weigberger secured the award. “Bluegrass is a big tent, and I’m so happy to have found a creative place in so many parts of that tent,” he told the audience.

Missy Raines was the next honoree in the Distinguished Achievement category, and there to present her award were Vickie Vaugn and Tristan Scroggins. They started at the very beginning of Missy’s bluegrass life, with the picture of her as a little girl at Carlton Haney’s Camp Springs Bluegrass Festival, and traced a line through her career that followed her path as an artist, and featured messages from her band-mates and mentors. Tom L. Gray shared a video message for Missy. “I am so proud to remind everyone that I mentored Missy Raines for years,” he said. “I am so happy that she is now receiving the Distinguished Achievement Award. She is one of the hardest working people in our industry.” He also recalled memories of Missy talking to him about bass-playing after Seldom Scene shows. “She would sit down and talk to me after a show, and she wouldn’t say, ‘How did you do that,’ [because] she was smart enough to figure it out, but she would say, ‘Why did you do it that way?'” Vickie Vaughn then added, “Missy is truly the only reason that I picked up the up-right bass… She was and still is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.” Missy took the stage to the sound of a standing ovation from the audience. “I found a home, and I found my tribe with the IBMA in 1986 or ’87,” she said. Missy went on to thank all the people who have influenced her so greatly through her magical music career. “To Ray Shrieve, who took the time to play blues guitar and old-time fiddle with me so long ago back in West Virginia. While I didn’t know it then, you were showing me that it really was all about the space between the notes,” she began in her thank yous. “And to Carlton Haney, because I really don’t think I would have chosen this life if I hadn’t experienced the magic of those festivals.” She concluded her speech with a heart-felt thanks to her band, Allaghaney, and her husband, Ben Surrat. 

Broadcaster of the Year was the next award of the day, and up for the honor this year were Barb Heller, Matt Hutchinson, Michelle Lee, Ronnie Moretz, and Daniel Mullins. Daniel Mullins won, and as he accepted, he said, “I’m grateful that my dad, Joe Mullins, and my papaw, Paul ‘Moon’ Mullins, taught me the difference between a DJ and an on-air personality. That’s what I’ve tried to do… God has been so good, and he’s been so good to all of us to bless us with bluegrass music, so thank you.”

Writer of the Year was the the final Industry Award presented, and nominated in this category were Dan Miller, Alisa Murphy, Jessica Nicholson, Gary Reid, and Garrett K. Wood. Dan Miller, editor of Bluegrass Unlimited, would win the title of Writer of the Year. “I first want to thank the IBMA for acknowledging writers,” he said. “Writers do a lot of hard work to get the word out there [about this music].” 

The final Distinguished Achievement Award was presented to Ron Thomason by Heidi Clare. “Ron Thomason is a true renaissance man,” Heidi said to open her remarks. She went on to discuss Ron’s love for bluegrass, teaching, and horses saying, “I do believe the horses at the barn are who inspire Ron each and every day… A horse never had a better friend than Ron Thomason.” She talked about Ron’s founding position as a member of the Dry Branch Fire Squad, and highlighted his work with the High Mountain Hay Fever Festival and Gray Fox. “[This is] Ron’’s legacy, which he is still building, not by intention, but by the way he lives his life.” Ron also took the stage to a standing ovation from the crowd. “Everyone here is so important to me,” he said as he began his speech, recounting his role at the beginning of the IBMA, discussing his part in Bill Monroe’s induction to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, emphasizing the back-beat of bluegrass, and providing the mission statement and reason for the High Mountain Hay Fever Festival. “I have loved bluegrass music since I first heard it when I was six years old… Receiving this award from the IBMA is a wonderful gift indeed.” Ron concluded his speech with his philosophy for life, “I believe when every child comes to fruition, they should be issued a banjo and a horse.”

Congratulations to the 2025 Industry and Distinguished Achievement Award Winners! 

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Darin & Brooke Aldridge at the 2025 Earl Scruggs Music Festival

In the four years that Scruggs Fest has been on the scene, one thing has been constant: the Sunday Morning Gospel set from Darin & Brooke Aldridge. Each year on Sunday morning, the Foggy Mountain Stage comes alive with the sounds of traditional bluegrass gospel, classic Darin & Brooke numbers, and songs from mountain church houses. Sunday afternoon, the couple took a few minutes to discuss how important this set is to them. 

Darin “We’ve played here every year on various stages, and we’ve played the gospel show every year. We always want to include our gospel music, and we want to keep the gospel brunch a tradition. Being a great festival here in Western North Carolina, just like MerleFest is, we loved that when we were first talking about doing the gospel set, it reminded us of the way Doc Watson carried on that tradition and had Sunday morning at MerelFest. We wanted to do the same thing here at the Earl Scruggs Festival.”

Brooke “Gospel music is really the foundation of who we are and where we come from. It’s what we’ve always loved, so we try to include it in all of our sets. It was really special to be back here at the festival this year, always welcoming Earl back home, making sure we are representing what he would’ve loved. In the small, rural towns where we both grew up, just like Earl, life has always been centered around church — a place of gathering, where people cared for one another and lifted each other up. And when you think about it, that’s not so different from a festival or music venue — it’s all about people coming together, sharing in something bigger than themselves, and leaving a little more inspired than when they arrived. That’s the spirit Earl carried with him, and it’s the spirit we hope to honor every time we play.”

Then, Darin elaborated on a story he shared during their set about some time he spent picking with Earl himself. He mentioned that he had visited Earl’s home when he was around fifteen years old, and during that visit, Earl shared stories about how he used to work up gospel songs as instrumentals to play during the stage show. Darin got to play some of those songs with him, and he also sang Earl’s favorite hymn, Drifting Too Far From the Shore, for him.  

Darin “That evening we got to spend with him was really special. There was no one there except for me and my friend, Dr. Bobby Jones, at Earl’s home in Madison. We ate dinner with him and Lousie, just the four of us, and then we went out to the front room and talked and picked over songs. He told me those stories about playing a lot of the instrumentals. Drifting Too Far From the Shore was one of his favorites. I jammed with him at his brother Horace’s house in Boiling Springs several times also. Earl was just one of the guys; he liked to sit around and pick those old songs with his brother and his friends. He was just a great banjo player and human being.”

Their Sunday morning set featured a couple new gospel songs that they’ve been working into their live shows, and plan on recording on a new, all-gospel project. 

Brooke “We haven’t done an all gospel album since our very first record we released back in 2008, so this is going to be really special. We’ve included some really special guests on it, and were able to schedule a day for some of our family to be featured on it. So, it’s going to be an album that truly hits close to home, and embodies what we have always been about.”

Darin “We’ve always had people ask us when we’re going to do another gospel record, and it’s been so long since we put that first one out. We always have two or three gospel songs on each record, so we decided to go ahead and do another all gospel project.”

Fans can look forward to more Scruggs Fest Sunday morning gospel shows from Darin & Brooke, and should keep an eye out for an all gospel project set for next year. 

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The Nest of Singing Birds at the 2025 Earl Scruggs Music Fest – photo © Cora Wagoner

The Nest of Singing Birds is a group of ballad singers composed of artists from western North Carolina and beyond who have all come together to preserve the tradition of presenting and passing down the old lovesongs to the next generation. Seventh and eighth generation ballad singers Sheila Kay Adams and Donna Ray Norton, the leaders and two constant members of the Nest of Singing Birds, sat down for an interview with me after the Healing the Hollers show Saturday afternoon at the Earl Scruggs Music Fest, a set of music featuring western North Carolina artists, in which they played a central role. They explained how the group came about when they took their ballad swap, that takes place the second Wednesday of every month at the Old Marshall Jail in Marshall, NC, on the road to raise awareness for the ballads, the town of Marshall, and all of western North Carolina after hurricane Helene. 

Donna Ray “The Nest of Singing Birds is a collective of individual musicians. When we took it on tour, we had to come up with an official name for our group of musicians because you can’t just say ‘ballad swap;’ nobody knows who’s coming or who the artists are. When English folklorist Cecil Sharp came through the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina collecting ballads in 1916, he said that Madison County was like a ‘nest of singing birds,’ so we felt like that was the perfect name for our group. It’s something new for us, but Sheila and I are the main birds in the nest [the constants in the group that features a varying lineup of musicians at each show].”

They also shared their thoughts on the importance of having ballad singing present at Scruggs Fest, and representing the ballads as a living tradition that remains unbroken, not just a part of history. 

Donna Ray “We share one of the oldest, unbroken, oral, non-indigenous traditions in the United States. Cecil Sharp recorded over twenty-five songs from my great-great-great aunt and Sheila’s great-great aunt, Mary Sands, so our family’s history has been documented throughout time, even before Sharp came through.”

Sheila “Ballads are the foundation of all kinds of different traditional music like bluegrass, old-time, and country. When I was growing up, it was all the same, nobody separated those groups of people. I actually met Earl Scruggs and interviewed him when he received the North Carolina Heritage Award because I was the MC. He told me he learned a lot of stuff from Obray Ramsey, who was a cousin to Donna Ray’s grandfather and my uncle, Byard Ray. Earl Scruggs also told me that his mama sang the lovesongs [ballads], and was the one who got him started playing banjo. I think that’s the reason Donna Ray and I are here, because if you take away the ballads, where would this music be? The ballads are the starting place.”

Donna Ray “The ballads are the main vein in the roots of traditional music; without the roots, the tree would fall.”

Sheila “Those roots go down deep.”

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Stephen Burwell with Authentic Unlimited at the 2025 Earl Scruggs Music Fest – photo © Bryce LaFoon

We’ll have a great deal of coverage this week from the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in North Carolina, held over the Labor Day weekend. Here is the first, Ellie Smith’s interview with Authentic Unlimited. Photos by Bryce LaFoon.

Authentic Unlimited is fresh off a new single, the announcement of their move to the brand-new Edisonic label, and their opening set at this year’s Earl Scruggs Music Festival. They opened the Flint Hill stage, giving festival attendees an unforgettable show, and an incredible introduction to the rest of the amazing talent that graced the stages this weekend. 

Jerry Cole and Eli Johnston sat down after their show to answer a few questions about the band’s experience at Scruggsfest, and give insight into some of the new directions they’re headed in.

Cost of Living was the first topic of discussion, and the guys shared a bit more about how they decided that this was the song to use for Colton Baker’s debut release with the band. 

Jerry “We wanted to get this single out here so that everybody could hear Colton, and see what he sounds like with the band. It was a no-brainer, getting it [Cost of Living] out there so everyone could hear him. Colton does a real good job on the recording, and when we do it live, he does a real good job on it.”

Eli “He just fits right in like a glove. Just perfect.”

Then, Eli told the story of how they came across the song…

Eli “Let me tell you about Cost of Living. We were sitting in a cabin, the three of us, Jerry, Colton, and me, our first week together as a trio, trying to work on our harmony, working on our instrumentation, and what not. We had been there for three or four hours, probably, and we were looking for songs. Well, Colton looked at Jerry, and he said, ‘Hey Jerry, you got anything? Anything that’s kind of country?’ Jerry gets his phone out, and he sits back in this recliner and starts scrolling [through lyrics] on his phone. Colton and I are looking at each other while he’s scrolling his phone, and all the sudden Jerry just falls asleep holding his phone. Colton goes, ‘Jerry! Jerry! Show us that song!’ Jerry goes, ‘Oh.. yeah! When does the cost of living outweigh the price of dying all alone?’ We’re like, ‘Golly, that was heavy! Let’s do that one!'”

Jerry “I was dead asleep, too. It kind of scared me when they woke me up.”

The conversation then drifted to their new label and their reasons for the change. 

Eli “So Edisonic… We were originally with Billy Blue; we’ve been with Billy Blue since back in the Doyle days. But we decided we wanted to separate ourselves, in a good way, so Edisonic was a move on both of our parts, ours and Billy Blue’s.”

Jerry “Traditionally, Billy Blue is straight down the line bluegrass, and as you know, we’re going to make our music, and record the things we like to record whether it be gospel, bluegrass, contemporary-bluegrass, or bluegrass-country. We’re going to record good music, regardless of the specific genre lines it might fall into. When we explained to Eddie what we were wanting to do, he expressed that this was something he’d be interested in backing. He is passionate about good music, and that’s a pretty broad spectrum. That’s along the lines of what we’re wanting to do, broaden our horizons. However, the important thing is that people know that we’re still bluegrass, even if we may be reaching just a ways outside the straightforward bluegrass camp in the future. We’re tickled to be starting a new thing with them, and helping build that label with the kind of music we do.”

Authentic Unlimited is leaning into the Unlimited side of their name with Edisonic Records, not leaving bluegrass, but not confining themselves to one section of it either. Jerry provided more reassurance on that by bringing up the nature of their next project. 

Jerry “The next album we release is going to be straight-down-the-pike, in-your-face, energetic bluegrass.”

AU fans will be left with no doubt that Authentic Unlimited is as bluegrass as it gets after the release of this future album full of barn-burning bluegrass that will be impossible to forget. 

The interview wound down with Eli and Jerry giving their thoughts on the festival and the turnout for their set. 

Eli “I think Earl Scruggs Music Fest is going to be alright. We had a good crowd, a good daytime crowd. We played at 3:00, and there were a bunch of people out there. Seems to me like they’re doing it right, they put on a good festival here.” 

Jerry “Scruggsfest is an awesome festival, and the hospitality has been off the chain.”

The 2025 Earl Scruggs Music Festival got off to a fabulous start with the killer opening set from Authentic Unlimited, and the perfect band to kick off the Bluegrass Today Interview Series.

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The highly anticipated new single from Authentic Unlimited has just arrived, bringing with it a wave of excitement and new ventures for the band. 

Cost of Living sits you in the passenger seat headed down the road under a dark-navy sky, with a lonesome, yellow moon hanging in the windshield as you listen to the main character pour out the story of his life, and the choice that defined it: a decision made to live on the road and a chronicle of where that choice will lead him. As Colton Baker sings, he unfolds the reality of choosing a life tied to the long, white highway-lines by a music career. The hauntingly-authentic vocal delivery from Colton and soberingly-honest lyrics from Jerry Cole deliver the feeling of hearing the story first-hand from the man who’s living it. The final price of a life spent running the roads for the sake of music may just be greater than any reward the music brings, and he’s beginning to find that to be a hard, unrelenting truth. 

“The Cost of Living is more than just the price of a ticket or the toll of the road,” Jerry Cole shares. It’s the quiet heartbreak of traded love and fleeting moments, all for the sake of a song. A musician may fill the world with music, but one day, when the lights dim and the strings go silent, it’s the silence of solitude that will remain.”

The song features powerful lead vocals and guitar work from Colton Baker, iconic fiddle and mandolin work from Stephen Burwell and Jesse Brock, and Jerry Cole and Eli Johnston delivering classic AU harmonies and playing bass and rhythm guitar. 

Cost of Living holds two firsts for Authentic Unlimited. It is the first single to be released featuring their newest member, Colton Baker. He joined the band back in April, and this song rolled into their repertoire at the same time. In fact, both he and this song made their official stage debuts with the band at the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival in Oakboro, North Carolina. 

Colton provided his thoughts on the new single saying, “When Jerry brought this song to the band, the hook immediately stopped us all in our tracks. We knew right away we wanted this to be the first single to kick off my tenure in the band, and I can’t wait for everyone to hear the finished product!”

This is also Authentic Unlimited’s first release for their brand new label, Edisonic Records. The band is the pioneering group for this new Daywind Music Group label run by Eddie Leonard, and they will serve as the foundation for the label, setting the precedent for their future label mates and solidifying the vision for Edisonic Records. 

“We wanted to form a label whose identity is not based on a particular genre of music, but rather embraces and supports artists whose creative pursuits result in more expansive, cross-genre sounds at times,” says Ed Leonard, President of the Daywind Music Group. “I was given an opportunity years ago to direct the expansion of DMG, whose labels include Billy Blue Records and Billy Jam Records, and I wanted to give my son, Eddie Leonard, a passionate fan of traditional bluegrass, Americana, and progressive jam music, as well as a gifted marketer in the bluegrass space, the opportunity to do the same. His love for this music and significant experience in marketing will bode well for the artists fortunate enough to work with the label, which will be backed by the team at DMG, and its long-term, indie-focused distribution relationship with The Orchard (Sony). Authentic Unlimited, who recorded four albums for DMG’s Billy Blue Records label, is immensely talented and the perfect group to build the Edisonic Records label around. This first single is powerful!”

Cost of Living is available on all major streaming platforms and to broadcasters via AirPlay Direct. 

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The Lonesome River Band’s latest single released last Friday, and it’s a song that transports you right into the middle of a vibrant, bustling dance hall on the Carolina/Virginia line. 

Square Dance Friday Night kicks off with Mike Hartgrove’s fiddle rocking everyone in like he’s signaling that the dancing is fixing to begin, while the lyrics that follow swirl with images of stringband scenes and mountain characters. Mandolin chucks emulate the shuffle of dancers’ feet, and the banjo rolls out the rhythm keeping them steady, and guiding them through each step and swing. 

Guitar player Jesse Smathers, who wrote Square Dance Friday Night says…

“That song was inspired by things that I saw at fiddler’s conventions, square dance halls, VFW halls, and fire halls. I live in Floyd, Virginia, where every Friday night, we have a jamboree, and they do square dance calling. And of course, where I grew up in Eden, North Carolina, there were all sorts of dance halls, so it was just a big part of what I heard and played growing up.”

Not only did the sights of those halls provide inspiration, but the sounds did as well. You can hear nods to Round Peak raising and the musical influences of the Virginia and Carolina line woven into the tune and the story.

Jesse speaks to this saying…

“Round Peak style has a direct influence on that, and old-time stringband music has a direct influence on a lot of what I write, play, and sing. Something I have always wanted to do with music I make, and the music I make with the Lonesome River Band, is not draw a hard line between bluegrass and old-time; it’s all stringband music. Where we live, it’s just in us to incorporate that, and it’s not something that we think about, necessarily. It just happens.”

The cut features Sammy Shelor on banjo, Mike Hartgrove on fiddle, Jesse Smathers on guitar and lead vocals, Adam Miller on mandolin and harmony vocals, Cameron Keller on bass, and a little bit of country flare courtesy of Rod Riley and his telecaster.

Square Dance Friday Night on Mountain Home Music is available for listeners on all major streaming platforms, and to broadcasters via AirPlay Direct. 

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March 22, the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame rang in their seventeenth annual induction ceremony. This year’s ceremony featured artists from deep in the coves and hills of the Blue Ridge region, and even two inductees who were brought into these mountains by way of their love for the music. The 2025 Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame class includes Steve Kilby, Sheila Kay Adams, Dock Boggs, Gerald Anderson, the Kruger Brothers, Rounder Records, and Riley Baugus. 

The first award to be presented was the Dr. T. R. Bryan Wilkes Heritage Award; this recognition is given to musicians from various genres or involvements who have contributed to the musical heritage and enrichment of Wilkes County. The award is named for one of the hall of fame’s charter members, Dr. T. R. Bryan, who was a lover and great supporter of the music of his home community of Wilkes. Each year, Dr. Bryan’s daughter, Pam Terrell, introduces the award before its presentation.  

“He [Dr. Bryan] was one of the founding members of this Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame; he was whole-heartedly dedicated to the work,” Pam told the audience. “I can remember him being so excited every time that the committee would meet. He was excited about searching for band members, singers, songwriters, performers… anybody to honor by inducting them into the hall of fame each year. I know he would be so pleased to see how the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame has grown, and that its original mission to showcase the rich musical heritage of the greater Blue Ridge Mountain area has been continued all these years.”  

This year’s Dr. T. R. Bryan award recipient was Steve Kilby. Steve grew up in North Wilkesboro and began playing guitar at the age of twelve. His musical career has included working with the Green Valley Boys, Hoyt Herbert and the Strings of Five, Blue Ridge Grass, the Sullivan Brothers, the Clarence Green-John Hartley Band, and Garland Shuping’s group, Wild Country. He also worked as a part-time studio engineer at Heritage Records up in Galax, Virginia, which is where he recorded his album, Sunday Night, which was comprised entirely of Steve’s original compositions. Though he has certainly had quite the musical career, Steve is even better known for his teaching. He worked as one of the original instructors in the JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) program, in addition to teaching at Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Camps and the John C. Campbell Folk School. Steve has taught many young pickers who have grown up to become some of our music’s finest. His long-time friend, Bill Williams, who he met working at American Drew Furniture there in Wilkes, presented the award to him and said, “He’s quite a versatile musician and songwriter, and just an all around good person. It’s just an honor for me to talk a little bit about him up here.”

“I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me to get this award. I never thought I would win anything like that, but I really appreciate it,” Steve said as he accepted the award. For his performance, Steve played Big Sandy River and Wildwood Flower with David Johnson, Eric Ellis, Scott Freeman, and Scott Gentry who make up the hall of fame’s house band, Virginialina. 

Sheila Kay Adams was honored next with her induction in the Master Musician and Tradition Bearer category. Sheila Kay is a seventh-generation ballad singer, storyteller, and clawhammer banjo player from the Sodom community of Madison County, NC. She grew up learning from eight traditional ballad singers, and members of her family sang for Cecil Sharp when he came through Appalachia collecting the old, mountain ballads. Her great-aunt, Dellie Chandler Norton, and other members of the Sodom community including Cass Wallin and Dillard Chandler, taught Sheila the ballad-singing tradition she carries on today. In 1976, Sheila, along with the eight ballad singers she grew up around, travelled to Washington, DC, to sing at the nation’s bicentennial celebration. Sheila Kay has shared this tradition with audiences across the United States and the world at festivals like the International Storytelling Festival and the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival. She has received many awards including a 2007 Lifeworks recognition, the 1997 North Carolina Historical Society’s historical fiction award for her book, Come Go Home with Me, the 1998 Brown Hudson Award from the North Carolina Folk Society, a 2016 North Carolina Music Heritage Award, and in 2013, she received the National Heritage Fellowship Award, the nation’s highest folk and traditional arts honor. Sheila Kay was unable to be at the ceremony due to illness, but her cousin, Donna Ray Norton, presented and accepted the award for her. Donna Ray described the great impact and influence that Sheila has had in her life, teaching her, the eighth generation, to carry on the songs and traditions of her people and our mountains. 

“Her voice isn’t just beautiful, it carries the weight of generations, bringing our past to life in a way that’s powerful, heartfelt, and unforgettable. It’s the voice of our mountains, and it sounds just like home to me,” Donna Ray said. “Sheila’s deep connection to the land, the people, and the music of the Blue Ridge runs through her veins; she’s not just a performer, she’s a keeper of the flame: the torch bearer ensuring that the music of the generations before her continues to echo through the mountains for generations to come… [Sheila] You’ve inspired me and so many others to embrace our heritage and share it proudly… It’s a true privilege to be able to stand here today and celebrate you. You’ve given so much to this community, to this culture, and to all of us who have the joy of knowing you. Congratulations, Sheila, and thank you for being such an incredible example of what it means to follow your heart, share your truly incredible Appalachian gifts with the world, and stay connected to where you come from.”

Donna Ray also performed in Sheila’s absence; she sang Fine Sally in the old “hollerin'” style and played Fly Around on banjo with Riley Baugus on guitar. 

The next category was the Pioneer Artist, and Dock Boggs received this award. Dock was a singer, songwriter, banjo picker, and outlaw in general from West Norton, Virginia. He acquired his first banjo around 1910, and began learning from the black musicians whose music he was fascinated with, as well as learning from Homer Crawford, his brother-in-law, Lee Hunsucker, and his brother, Roscoe. In 1927, Dock recorded a few songs for the Brunswick record label at the Norton Hotel, and then traveled to New York City to record more songs for them. He was offered a contract to record for them further after the success of these first records, but he refused. He formed his own band in 1928 called the Cumberland Entertainers that played together for the majority of the year until Dock headed from Virginia up to Kentucky in light of a disagreement between him and a local deputy sheriff. 1929 brought about another recording opportunity for Dock; he went up to Chicago to record four sides for the Lonesome Ace label. Eventually, at the insistence of his wife Sarah, he stopped trying to make his living with the music and returned to the coal mines where he’d worked before he began his musical career. His music was revived during the folk era, though, when Mike Seeger came around and was uncovering the older artists who were true pioneers of the music of these mountains. Seeger took Dock to play at folk clubs and festivals throughout the sixties, and brought him into the studio to record invaluable material that could’ve been lost for good had Dock not found his way back into a studio. Dock passed at age seventy-three in 1971. 

Jack Wright, who worked with Appalshop, founded June Appal Recordings and the Roadside Theater, and wrote the book Music of Coal: Mining Songs from the Appalachian Coalfields, came to present for Dock Boggs’s induction. “When Dock stepped onto a stage, he brought a landscape of coal dust loaded with boom and bust, moonshine and murder, gambling and sinning. As he reached for the breath to sing his songs, the audience could hear the undertone of broken bodies, broken lives, living paycheck to paycheck, uncertainty, [and] his own black-lung disease from years of coal mining,” Jack began. He went on to discuss knowing and being fortunate enough to work with Dock for the last few years of his life, and the legacy of music that Dock Boggs left behind. Corbin Hayslett was there to perform for the induction, and Jack commented that when he’d been asked who would be best to perform for Dock, that he’d immediately recommended Corbin. The audience soon heard exactly why, as Corbin is as close as you can get to that distinctive Dock Boggs sound today. Corbin played Down South Blues and Danville Girl, providing a brief history of each song before he performed it. 

Gerald Anderson was the next inductee in the Luthier category. Gerald was an apprentice of Wayne Henderson who began working at Wayne’s guitar shop sweeping floors, and eventually learned how to build fine guitars and mandolins. “He showed up at my shop I think in 1976, and I didn’t know what to think about somebody working in my shop, you know. I’d just been there by myself for years,” Wayne said about Gerald coming to work for him. “He came to the shop wanting to learn how to make instruments and said he was willing to sweep the floor or do anything just to hang around… What worried me about him was that Gerald was extremely smart. He did books, and he could figure out anything. I always thought, ‘You’re too smart to be in here in this mess making dust in a messy shop.’ But what he really wanted to do was make instruments and learn to play… He turned out to be probably my best friend, like a brother.” With what he’d learned from Wayne, Gerald went on to build Anderson Mandolins, start up the Anderson & Strickland Stringed Instruments company with Spencer Strickland, and teach at the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts in Marion, Virginia. Gerald was an inaugural member of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, and he played in the Rugby Gully Jumpers, Wayne Henderson & Friends, and the Virginia Luthiers. In total, Gerald built 178 mandolins, 143 guitars, 3 fiddles, 1 autoharp, 1 banjo, and 1 ukulele throughout his career as a famed luthier. Gerald Anderson passed June 20, 2019 at age 65. 

The Virginia Luthiers featuring Spencer Strickland, Wayne Henderson, and Jimmy Edmonds were there to perform and present for Gerald’s induction. They played Eight More Miles to Louisville and Greenville Trestle High, two songs that the groups frequently played when Gerald was in them. Wayne was playing the 47th guitar that Gerald made. He and Wayne gave each other the guitar numbers that matched their birth years; Gerald gave Wayne the 47th guitar he made and Wayne gave Gerald his number 53. “He meant so much to me,” Spencer Strickland said. “He was almost a part of my everyday adult life from the time I was twenty years old up until the time he passed in June of 2019, very unexpectedly… His legacy lives on at the Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts in Marion, Virginia. There, they have the Gerald Anderson Luthiery Studio.” Gerald’s younger sister Barbra Carter was present to accept the award. “I don’t know that I can add much to what you guys have said, other than that he was sincerely a very generous person of spirit and the heart, and very loved by pretty much everybody who ever met him. Thank you so much for being here, and thank you guys [the Virginia Luthiers] for being here and honoring him,” Barbra said as she accepted Gerald’s award. 

The inductees in this year’s Nationally Known Artist category were the Kruger Brothers. Si Khan was present to introduce their portion of the ceremony. He recounted a very ecstatic Pete Werrnick running him down at MerleFest in 1997 and exuberantly attempting to tell him about what he had just witnessed on the Walker Center Stage. He says that Pete was rapid-fire asking if he’d ever heard of Jens Kruger or seen him play the banjo, to which Si responded he had not. Pete then proceeded to whip out an electronic metronome and show Si exactly how fast Jens had been playing with his excitement continuing to bubble over. Si stated that he had no idea what the number meant, but he went right along with Pete’s excitement. Pete went on to tell Si that Jens was a part of this Swiss group called the Kruger Brothers, and Si says that, “In less than four hours, I am sharing the stage with a bionic bluegrass band from Switzerland!” He continues with the tale of how they met and then says, “Listening, I realize I’m not just hearing great music, I am in the presence of genius. I don’t care if they’re bionic; I’ve almost never before heard music this beautiful, this emotional, this brilliant.” Si concluded his speech, and, because the Kruger Brothers could not be present, a video was played that had been recorded at their Kruger Academy that took place in February where Laura Boosinger presented them with their award. She decsribed how she met them and became familiar with their music. “Their heart is in the right place, and they even put it in their songs,” Laura mentioned when she was speaking about the home the Krugers had found in Wilkes County. “Uwe even talks about Doc wanting to hear the song where ‘I’m in it,’ and that line in the song, ‘I want to sing the songs that Doc has taught to me,’ and the other part of that song that always touched my heart because it’s my own personal story is, ‘the folk in Carolina have opened up their door and I’m not a stranger anymore.’ I feel that strongly, and I know they do too.”

“This is, for us, a great honor,” Jens began his acceptance speech. “When we came to play MerleFest the first time in 1997, we thought it was a one-off thing.” He spoke about the musical home they had found here among the musicians and mountains they had long admired. “To live in Wilkes County and to be here is a wonderful thing… We want to thank you all for inducting us into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame amongst all these other great artists.” The Krugers gave their performance virtually and played Uwe’s song about finding their home in the hills of Carolina, Carolina in the Fall.

Rounder Records Founders, Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, and Bill Nowlin, would go into the hall of fame following the Kruger Brothers with their induction in the Recording Industry category. David Menconi, who authored the books, Oh Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music and Step it up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, presented. “When I’m writing a book, I always try to open it with an evocative scene to set the story, time, and place,” David began. “For Oh Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music, I began with an anecdote that happened about a half-hour away from here [Wilkes County] a long, long time ago. The first few pages of the book describe an event this organization knows well: the Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention… Union Grove was where, in 1972, Rounder founders Ken Irwin and Marian Leighton were selling records out of a van.” David went on to tell the story of how Rounder had a monumental impact on the entire scene of bluegrass and old-time music. Several Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame members are featured in the vast catalog of Rounder, and some of bluegrass’s most famous recordings are on this label. Most notably the famed Rounder 0044, the first album by J. D. Crowe and the New South, that rocked the bluegrass world and elevated one of our standards, Old Home Place. Bill Nowlin was present to accept the award, but before he came up to the stage to do so, there was a surprise video from one of Rounder’s top selling and most notable artists: Alison Krauss and Union Station. 

“We did start the company in 1970, and a lot of the inspiration came from here,” Bill said. “Ken and I were roommates in college in the Boston area, and we hitchhiked down to Union Grove in 1965…” And the rest is history. “It’s an honor for us to just be able to associate with the music, and we’ve always enjoyed that. Thank you all for those of you who may have bought a [Rounder] record over the years, and keep your ear out for more to come,” he said as he accepted his award. 

The Blue Ridge house band, Virginialina, played Old Home Place and Ashokan Farewell, a fiddle tune that guitarist and fiddler David Johnson said, “Everybody would’ve bet money was from the Civil War. It was actually written in about the same period of time [that its respective album was released on Rounder], about the 1980s.”

The final inductee was Riley Baugus who went into the Sideman and Regional Musician category. Carol Rifkin and Becky Johnson presented Riley’s award. “Riley is one of those really remarkable people who came into this world with just an amazing gift,” Carol began. She told the audience about how she used to drive Riley and his friend, Kirk Sutphin, to festivals and to the home of Tommy Jarrell when they were just teenagers. Riley learned from traditional musicians the likes of Jarrell, Verlin Clifton, Dix Freeman, Benton Flippen, and Paul Sutphin. Riley has performed with a plethora of string bands including the Red Hots, the Old Hollow Stringband, and the Konnarock Critters, and has toured with Dirk Powell, Tim O’Brien, and Polecat Creek. He’s even recorded with Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss. “Growing up in the Baptist Church, Riley really developed a sense of style in singing,” Carol said. “I knew he was really good at things, but his singing surprised me at how beautiful and gifted it became.” Becky Johnson picked it up from there saying, “It was as if I knew Riley Baugus for years and years before I actually had the honor of meeting him in person… The music of Riley Baugus is timeless. Listening to him happily brings me back to a simpler, safer era that wasn’t really that long ago… It’s a real honor to have him inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame tonight.” Riley came up to accept his award, “Thank you so much,” he said, “You know, when I’m at a place where I’m at a lack of anything to say, you know you’ve touched a deep place… I cannot believe that I get this honor; this is one of the greatest honors I’ve had in my life.” Riley performed two songs, False Hearted Lover Blues and Undone in Sorrow.

The night closed with the traditional final jam where all the performers gang up on stage to play I’ll Fly Away and Will the Circle be Unbroken.

Congratulations to the 2025 BRMHoF inductees, and special thanks to Wilkes Heritage Museum Director, Jennifer Furr, Nancy Watson, the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame Trustees, and their sponsors. 

Here is a playlist featuring songs played by our inductees and performers throughout the night so that you can catch a glimpse of the sounds and talent present at this year’s ceremony: 

Photos courtesy of Brenda and Monty Combs

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Bob Minner, Rhonda Vincent, and John Meador at The Station Inn

For his latest single, Bob Minner has taken a classic Osborne Brothers tune and given it a new side as a lonesome ballad. 

Releasing a version of Listening to the Rain has been a long-awaited dream of Bob’s that he’s finally been able to see through with this latest project. 

“My dad was an Osborne Brothers fan, and I remember their records being in the house when I was around six or seven,” Bob tells us. “And for a number of years, I had always heard this song in my head as a slowed-down ballad due to the nature of the lyric, but I never had a project that treatment would fit within. Until now.”

“When I signed with Billy Blue as an artist, I knew I had to have this song on the record, and I wanted to expand it into the realm of a duet,” he continues. “And coming off the success of my co-write with John Meador on Fall In Tennessee, I knew I wanted John’s incredible voice on the cut. I asked John who he’d like to sing it with, and without hesitation he said, ‘Rhonda (Vincent),’ and I couldn’t have agreed more. So, I approached Rhonda with the idea, and she was gracious enough to agree to be a part of it.”

“We met at Rhonda’s house to go through keys and arrangement, and as soon as they started singing together, the hair stood up on my arms and I knew this was going to be something special.”

John and Rhonda’s voices color the song with even deeper shades of lonely, and draw out the heartbreak that always lived in these lyrics. John’s smooth tone and the softer side of Rhonda’s powerful voice blend and twine together beautifully, perfectly spiraling into the duet harmonies that transport the listeners into the story, and even into the melody itself. 

Another special guest that Minner featured on this recording is Ronnie Reno, who played on the first cut of Listening to the Rain when the Osbornes took it into the studio. 

“I played on the original recording of Listening To The Rain with Bobby and Sonny in 1970,” Ronnie says. “I love the new approach to this song, and it’s wonderfully done. The vocals are outstanding. Bob’s production is outstanding. It’s in the pocket, and it’s in time with your heart. I know Bobby and Sonny would be very proud of this recording.”

Listening to the Rain is available from all major streaming platforms. 

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Authentic Unlimited has just announced the arrival of their newest band member, Colton Baker. 

Colton comes to the band by way of IIIrd Tyme Out. During his time with Russell, he played bass and sang harmony vocals with the group. As for his new role with Authentic Unlimited, Colton will be filling the spot of John Meador who is leaving to pursue different opportunities. 

“:We are incredibly excited to welcome Colton Baker to AU,” bassist Jerry Cole said. “Colton’s unique style and musical expertise will bring a fresh energy to our performances and recordings. We have no doubt that our fans will love the new dimension he will bring to our music. Colton’s passion for music and dedication to his craft align perfectly with Authentic Unlimited’s mission to deliver memorable and authentic musical experiences to our audience.”

This passion for the music and dynamic style have helped Colton flow into the band seamlessly, and you can see just that in the videos that have been popping up on the AU social pages. 

Here’s a clip of Colton singing a good ol’ IIIrd Tyme Out number, Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On, with AU at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. 

Colton shared, “I am truly honored and excited to come on board with the AU team! This group has achieved remarkable success over the past few years, and I am eager to contribute my talents to build even greater momentum for the group! I am forever grateful for the experiences and friendships I gained during my time with IIIrd Tyme Out. The lessons I learned and the friendships I formed with everyone in that band are invaluable, and I plan to keep those relationships strong moving forward.”

Keep an eye on the Authentic Unlimited tour schedule online to find a chance to see them near you.

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Excitement continues to build as the second single off the highly-anticipated Arcadia album from Alison Krauss and Union Station, set to drop March 28 on Down The Road Records, has officially arrived. This is the very first track to feature Russell Moore, who joined up this year as the newest member of Union Station, on lead vocals. Russell’s addition to the band is certainly a power-play, as two vocalists hailed as bluegrass’s best are now sharing the same stage and studio. 

“Jerry, Ron, Barry, and I all met when Dan Tyminski left the band,” says Alison Krauss, “and Jerry asked me, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘Russell Moore,’ and they all said, ‘Absolutely!’ I couldn’t believe it when we went into the studio and his voice came through the speakers. He just stands there and sings with his hands in his pockets, and he kills it. The first song he did was Granite Mills, and about ten minutes in, Ron was covering his mouth because he started giggling. Russell came in and inspired us all.”

And that inspirational, captivating voice of Russell’s takes charge on Granite Mills. His thrilling tenor voice narrates a tragic tale that relates both public disaster and individual sorrow. AKUS has taken a historical fatality and evoked the poignant, personal pain that runs ever present behind the guises of industrial tragedies. Granite Mills is a traditional song based on the burning of Fall River, New York’s Granite Mills in 1874. Intense instrumentation opens the sorrowful song, and the lyrics flow in a ballad-like nature describing the horrible events that befell the mill-workers who met their deaths in flames, or in desperate attempts to escape. Powerfully-driven lead singing from Moore fuels the emotion of the song, and bold swells of instrumentation from Alison, Jerry Douglas, Ron Block, and Barry Bales draw listeners deeper into the alluringly-woven story.

This new single and the forthcoming album are leading the way for the first Alison Krauss and Union Station tour in over ten years. The Arcadia tour includes special guest Willie Watson and features seventy-five dates across North America that are set to begin in full swing April 17 with back-to-back nights in Louisville, Kentucky. Russell Moore will continue to tour with IIIrd Tyme Out until the AKUS tour begins in April, and will resume performing with his band when Alison’s tour concludes in September.

Granite Mills and the previous single, Looks Like the End of the Road, are available to download and save on major streaming services, and Arcadia is available for pre-order on the official AKUS website, and to pre-save from major streaming platforms. 

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