Joe Bittle of Owensboro, KY, a long-time and highly-valued member of the International Bluegrass Music Association, died on September 28 at 74 years of age.
Anyone who has been an exhibitor at World of Bluegrass, going back to its days in Owensboro, through to Louisville, Nashville, and Raleigh, knew Joe, who served as Exhibit Hall manager at all those sites. His was the friendly but firm voice as the Exhibit Hall was closing each day letting everyone know that it was time to clear the hall and move on.
Born Joseph Raymond Bittel, Jr in Owensboro on April 14, 1951, Joe joined the Owensboro Fire Department after leaving school, where he quickly rose through the ranks. He retired as a captain in 2002, and began working at Glenn Funeral Home in Owensboro, having grown up around the mortuary business.
But we all know him for his service to and love for bluegrass music. He was an IBMA member for 40 years, and a strong supporter of their many efforts. When the ROMP festival launched in his home town in 2003, Bittel was involved from the start. He served there as Site Manager and Coordinator, and took on many other roles there as any need arose.
Adam Engelhardt, Executive Director of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, says that they have counted on him for years.
“Joe Bittel has been a supporter of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, specifically our ROMP Music Festival, since day one! An Owensboro native and a true fan of bluegrass music; if there was ever a need, he’d be the first to help, or to gather the festival troops to find a solution.
Folks like Joe Bittel are not easy to find, and he will be greatly missed by his ROMP Family.
Thank you Joe for your years of dedication.”
Paul Schiminger, who twice accepted the role of Executive Director of the IBMA, likewise recalls Joe as a dedicated worker, and for his deep love of the music and the people who make it.
“During my years, with IBMA World of Bluegrass being in Raleigh, Joe was primarily the Exhibit Hall manager. He would help vendors who had questions or a problem where staff needed to assist. He made sure everyone was out of the hall at closing time to protect vendor inventory, which can be like herding cats. Stationed there for hours, he would also count the number of visitors to the Exhibit Hall with his handy clicker that was kept in what we affectionately labeled ‘Joe’s Tool Box.’
He was a steady, reliable presence to help with anything we needed. One of his more arduous roles was driving the rental van to and from Raleigh. We needed a lot of equipment, supplies, etc. to be transported from the IBMA office in Nashville to Raleigh. It was an eight and a half hour drive each way, which he had to split into two days. It was pretty taxing, so he eventually had to pass that ‘torch’ to someone else.
Joe loved bluegrass music. He worked with the IBMA staff to help with World of Bluegrass for decades, and was dedicated to working at the ROMP Festival in Owensboro probably since its beginning through this year’s event.
He was a character in the best way, always enjoying a laugh or a chance to needle someone playfully. Through the years, bluegrass artists came to recognize and know him for his passion for the music, and dedication to help the community. He will be deeply missed.”
Nancy Cardwell, who spent many years working at IBMA headquarters, in both Owensboro and Nashville, finishing up her time as Executive Director, saw a great deal in Joe.
“When you have a very small staff in charge of a BIG annual conference, awards show, and festival every year, it’s important to have a few super-volunteers you can lean on to get the job done, year after year. Captain Joe Bittel, retired from the Owensboro, Kentucky Fire Department, was the fifth member of the IBMA staff every year when it was time to create World of Bluegrass in Owensboro, in Louisville, in Nashville, and in Raleigh.
He stuffed registration packets with us, loaded up the truck, drove the truck, unpacked and packed up again, presided over the exhibit hall, occasionally served as a body guard or ‘banner boy,’ helped figure out where the vendors would park at English Park in Owensboro, and he was just there, 24/7, for the entire week – as well as being on call in the weeks leading up to the annual conference, awards show, and festival. Dan Hays, Jill Snider, and I wouldn’t have thought of doing World of Bluegrass without Joe. Joe was there when I came onboard at IBMA in 1994, and he was still there when I left in 2015.
Joe loved hunting and the outdoors and his dogs; he owned a mandolin but never got around to learning to play it; he was a champion barbecue team leader in western Kentucky; he liked to keep the AC at a temperature low enough to hang meat in; he always had a tan; he didn’t know a stranger; he could make absolutely anyone laugh; and he was our dear friend. He probably knew more people at World of Bluegrass over the years, than anyone on staff, or any of the longtime members. Plus, he knew most of the hotel and convention staff too, by the time we left.
The 2025 World of Bluegrass exhibit hall in Chattanooga seemed a little off this year, without Joe sitting at the counter when you walked in the door. We’ll miss him.”
When we think of bluegrass heroes, we tend to think first of our favorite performers, songwriters, and singers. Given the amount of work required to pull off the annual World of Bluegrass convention, and the ROMP events, don’t people like Joe Bittel belong in that same category?
Of course they do.
Joe’s funeral Mass is this morning at 11:00 a.m. at St. Martin Catholic Church in Owensboro, with his brother Father Patrick M. Bittel officiating. He will be buried afterward at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Cemetery, along with a fireman’s final bell ceremony.
R.I.P., Joe Bittel.
