Gene Horner passes
Gene Horner in his shop (12/6/16) – photo © Hollie Deese, Nashville Interiors Well-known east Tennessee violin maker and luthier Gene Horner died on January 14 at the Ben Atchley Tennessee Veteran’s Home in Knoxville, TN He was 91 years of age. Born Charles Eugene Horner, he was known as Gene (or Jean) over the […]
Short Life of Trouble available online
The short film treatment of the life of legendary old time fiddler G.B. Grayson, Short Life of Trouble: The Legend of G.B. Grayson, has been made available to the public for online viewing. The 2020 project, directed by Kelley St. Germain, follows the life of Gilliam Banmon Grayson, who lived from 1887-1930, from his youth […]
Buddy Melton departing Balsam Range
Buddy Melton, fiddler, vocalist, and founding member of perennial bluegrass headliners Balsam Range, has announced his departure from the group. Since the band’s founding in 2007 by five friends living in Haywood County, NC – just west of Asheville – Melton has been a critical creative force in the band, and probably their most recognizable […]
Zeke Dawson passes
Lifelong bluegrass and country fiddler Zeke Dawson died on November 11 at his home near Nashville, TN. He was 84 years of age. Zeke had played in numerous bluegrass groups, as well as top country artists in Nashville. Born in Prince Georges County, MD on June 1, 1940, Zeke grew up near the homeplace of […]
A phone call from Kenny Baker, with Randall Franks
Here’s a couple of names for you… Kenny Baker and Randall Franks. Anyone who follows bluegrass knows of Kenny Baker, widely regarded as among the finest fiddlers to ever play the music, and certainly the chief exemplar of Bill Monroe’s sound. The Kentucky native spent a total of 25 years with Monroe, in a series […]
Junior Marriott – from champion fiddler to celebrated instructor
Fiddling, with its rich history and versatile appeal, has long been a beloved musical tradition that spans across cultures and generations. In the elite world of fiddling, instructors play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of top fiddlers. You might ask what qualifies an instructor as exceptional? How important is technique and skill […]
Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter talk fiddlin’ on the Opry
The Grand Ole Opry has released a brief interview with Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, two extra heavy hitters in the bluegrass fiddle world, about their twin fiddle collab album coming next spring. So far three singles from the record have been released, Jason singing Outrun The Rain and Give It Away, plus the two […]
2024 Oklahoma State Fiddling Championship results
You can’t miss the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. Just look for the gigantic monument dubbed “The Golden Driller,” a giant roustabout statue which, at 76 feet, is among the tallest free standing structures in the United States. Modeled on Oklahoma oilfield worker John Franklin Stephens, Jr. he boasts of a slender waist, muscles ripped on a […]
China Camp from Amy Kassir
California fiddler Amy Kassir has a new album of fiddle tunes set to hit this week, and has offered a single in advance. Originally from Durham, NC, Amy grew up learning the bluegrass and old time music of the Appalachian region, as she described in an interview we ran back in June. These days she’s […]
From fiddlin’ to flyin’ with champion fiddler Tristan Paskvan
With a passion for fiddling, young Texan Tristan Paskvan, who placed first in the youth division of the 2024 Grand Master Fiddler Championship, also has a dream to incorporate flying into his musical pursuits. At the age of 13, Paskvan has his sights set on becoming a pilot, but for now he loves to fiddle his […]
