Author: Richard Thompson

Last week’s (12/29) Wall Street Journal Market Watch has reported on the success of the Cracker Barrel strategy of working with top bluegrass acts and labels – in this case Rounder Records. Two of the label’s artists, the Grascals and Dailey

Keith Lawrence, the esteemed journalist at the Owensboro Messenger-Enquirer, has been writing about bluegrass music for the newspaper since 1985. Additionally, he has a blog, Bluegrass Notes, which he has been writing since 1991. Earlier this month Lawrence published his Ten

Each year end brings lists of Best Ofs, and the music business is among the most prominent in getting its reporters to assess what they think is the best in the marketplace. The reputable PopMatters, an on-line magazine of cultural criticism,

Legendary bass player Jody Rainwater passed away in his sleep on the evening of Saturday, December 24, 2011, following a lengthy illness.  He was 92 years old. Rainwater, aka Charles Edward ‘Chuck’ Johnson, spent two years in the early 1950s working

Edward William “Shorty” Eager passed away following an extended illness on December 19, 2011, at Cobb Wellstar Hospital in Austell, Georgia. A former member of Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys, Eager was born on February 13, 1941. Originally from Mohnton, Pennsylvania, he

On this day in 1967 …… On December 25, 1967, the Osborne Brothers’ recording of Rocky Top was released. Recorded on November 16, 1967, Rocky Top was the second of three songs cut during an afternoon session at Bradley’s Barn, Mount Juliet,

Christmas time, the season of goodwill, good will to all men. In bluegrass music circles it’s always a time of good will. This has been demonstrated recently with the stupendous support that the Marksmen Quartet has received since we reported the

Young English banjo player John Breese recently graduated from the University of Southampton, having completed a year-long Masters course in Music, majoring in classical guitar. For one of his modules Breese made a film Bluegrass & Old-Time: An Exploration of the

Pete Wernick has announced the Banjo Camp scholarship winners. They are Jim Gabehart of Hinton, West Virginia, and Jordan Alleman, 18, of Portland, Oregon. Each will participate in Wernick’s Advanced Banjo Camp taking place from January 16 through to 21,

It has been five years since Mike Compton released an album: the Acoustic Disc release Stomp, with David Long. Otherwise nothing; not even work as a session player. Some friendly persuasion from Australians Paul Duff and Mick O'Neill, who both thought