Bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs was born 100 years ago this week, and the tributes to the banjo picker have been many. On Friday, Tony Trischka, himself a banjo disciple of Scruggs, released a rollicking version of “Brown’s Ferry Blues,” a song dating back to the Thirties, that features an array of A-list players including Billy Strings, Béla Fleck, and Sam Bush.
Written by long-ago Grand Ole Opry stars the Delmore Brothers, “Brown’s Ferry Blues” features Strings on lead vocals, with Fleck and Trischka delivering a pair of banjo breakdowns.
Written by long-ago Grand Ole Opry stars the Delmore Brothers, “Brown’s Ferry Blues” features Strings on lead vocals, with Fleck and Trischka delivering a pair of banjo breakdowns.
- 1/12/2024
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
When he was three years old, Jerry Douglas heard the groundbreaking banjo licks of Earl Scruggs on the turntable each morning during breakfast at his childhood home in northeastern Ohio.
“And we’d hear the Flatt & Scruggs [Grand Ole Opry] radio show on Wsm if there was clear weather between Ohio and Nashville,” Douglas, a staple of today’s bluegrass, tells Rolling Stone. “Flatt & Scruggs was a big deal in our house. But, Earl’s banjo playing was the first thing I ever heard that I wanted to do — nothing...
“And we’d hear the Flatt & Scruggs [Grand Ole Opry] radio show on Wsm if there was clear weather between Ohio and Nashville,” Douglas, a staple of today’s bluegrass, tells Rolling Stone. “Flatt & Scruggs was a big deal in our house. But, Earl’s banjo playing was the first thing I ever heard that I wanted to do — nothing...
- 9/6/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
In the span of less than a week, the bluegrass community was rocked to its core: Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne, two pioneering voices and musicians of the “high, lonesome sound,” died within mere days of each other.
McReynolds died June 23 at 93, while four days later, Osborne died at 91 on June 27. Both were renowned mandolin players and singers, whose melodic innovation and artistic integrity within bluegrass has echoed throughout the genre since its inception in the mid-20th century.
“I just can’t remember a time in my life without hearing them,...
McReynolds died June 23 at 93, while four days later, Osborne died at 91 on June 27. Both were renowned mandolin players and singers, whose melodic innovation and artistic integrity within bluegrass has echoed throughout the genre since its inception in the mid-20th century.
“I just can’t remember a time in my life without hearing them,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
Back when TV viewers were limited to three channel options, a silly show called The Beverly Hillbillies started at the top of the Nielsen ratings and stayed there for nine years. Panned by critics, the quirky comedy entertained audiences and made several actors famous. So, are any Beverly Hillbillies cast members still alive?
‘The Beverly Hillbillies’: A story about a man named Jed ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ cast | CBS via Getty Images
In 1962, the first episode of The Beverly Hillbillies introduced America to Jed, Granny, and Elly May Clampett, along with their cousin Pearl and her grown son, Jethro Bodine. After the Clampetts strike it rich, Bodine drives them to California, where they meet banker Milburn Drysdale and his unpretentious secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway.
Each Beverly Hillbillies episode opened and closed with a portion of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett.” Composed by show creator Paul Henning, the banjo-driven ditty was...
‘The Beverly Hillbillies’: A story about a man named Jed ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ cast | CBS via Getty Images
In 1962, the first episode of The Beverly Hillbillies introduced America to Jed, Granny, and Elly May Clampett, along with their cousin Pearl and her grown son, Jethro Bodine. After the Clampetts strike it rich, Bodine drives them to California, where they meet banker Milburn Drysdale and his unpretentious secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway.
Each Beverly Hillbillies episode opened and closed with a portion of “The Ballad of Jed Clampett.” Composed by show creator Paul Henning, the banjo-driven ditty was...
- 2/5/2023
- by Kaanii Powell Cleaver
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tivoli, NY – Kaatsbaan Cultural Park is pleased to announce a Bluegrass Concert by powerhouse acoustic duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley on Friday, February 24, 2023 at 7pm. Tickets are 30 general admission. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit kaatsbaan.org/2023-events.
15-time International Bluegrass Music Association Dobro Player of the Year Rob Ickes and Tennessee-born guitar prodigy Trey Hensley are known for their white-hot picking, stone country vocals with soul and world class live musicianship. Together, they meld blues, bluegrass, country, rock, and other string band music of all kinds to form a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre.
About Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
Take a 15-time Ibma (International Bluegrass Music Association) Dobro Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy who made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that...
15-time International Bluegrass Music Association Dobro Player of the Year Rob Ickes and Tennessee-born guitar prodigy Trey Hensley are known for their white-hot picking, stone country vocals with soul and world class live musicianship. Together, they meld blues, bluegrass, country, rock, and other string band music of all kinds to form a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre.
About Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
Take a 15-time Ibma (International Bluegrass Music Association) Dobro Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy who made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that...
- 2/4/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
J.D. Crowe, a Grammy winning banjo player whose mastery of the instrument inspired generations of bluegrass fans, died early on Friday morning, his family announced on social media. No cause of death or location was given.
“This morning at around 3 a.m,, our dad, Jd Crowe, went home. Prayers needed for all during this difficult time,” family members said in a post on his Facebook fan club page. Crowe had been active in music until 2019, when Copd forced him to stop performing.
Crowe’s death came a year after another bluegrass legend, guitarist Tony Rice, a former member of Crowe’s New South, died on Christmas a year ago.
Crowe’s career dates to the late 1950s, when he joined the Sunny Mountain Boys at age 19. In 1961, Crowe formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, changing the name In 1971 to J.D. Crowe & the New South.
Under that name, the group recorded...
“This morning at around 3 a.m,, our dad, Jd Crowe, went home. Prayers needed for all during this difficult time,” family members said in a post on his Facebook fan club page. Crowe had been active in music until 2019, when Copd forced him to stop performing.
Crowe’s death came a year after another bluegrass legend, guitarist Tony Rice, a former member of Crowe’s New South, died on Christmas a year ago.
Crowe’s career dates to the late 1950s, when he joined the Sunny Mountain Boys at age 19. In 1961, Crowe formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys, changing the name In 1971 to J.D. Crowe & the New South.
Under that name, the group recorded...
- 12/25/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
J.D. Crowe, a pioneering banjo player with his progressive bluegrass group the New South, died Friday morning, according to a post on the musician’s Facebook page. He was 84.
“This morning at around 3 a.m. our dad, Jd Crowe, went home,” Crowe’s family wrote. “Prayers needed for all during this difficult time.”
A seminal figure in the bluegrass world, Crowe was a disciple of Earl Scruggs and played banjo in Scruggs’ three-fingered style. Yet he was also an experimentalist and pushed the genre outside of its traditional, at times constrictive,...
“This morning at around 3 a.m. our dad, Jd Crowe, went home,” Crowe’s family wrote. “Prayers needed for all during this difficult time.”
A seminal figure in the bluegrass world, Crowe was a disciple of Earl Scruggs and played banjo in Scruggs’ three-fingered style. Yet he was also an experimentalist and pushed the genre outside of its traditional, at times constrictive,...
- 12/24/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum found the inspiration for its upcoming fundraising event from an unlikely source: penguins.
At the beginning of the pandemic, when museums and nearly everything else were forced to close down, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium managed to create a viral moment by letting its penguins roam loose in the facility and broadcasting the shenanigans online. The penguins were early quarantine stars. Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young was among those watching.
“They were looking at the fish swimming around,” Young recalls.
At the beginning of the pandemic, when museums and nearly everything else were forced to close down, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium managed to create a viral moment by letting its penguins roam loose in the facility and broadcasting the shenanigans online. The penguins were early quarantine stars. Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young was among those watching.
“They were looking at the fish swimming around,” Young recalls.
- 10/27/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will put to use some of the most iconic instruments in the genre’s history for its upcoming “Big Night” fundraiser, set for Wednesday, October 28th. Included among the newly announced instrument and artist pairings are guitars once owned by Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle Carter, and Jimmie Rodgers.
The artist lineup for the event, which will be hosted by Marty Stuart, runs the gamut from contemporary stars like Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown to Americana favorites like Keb’ Mo’ and Lucinda Williams,...
The artist lineup for the event, which will be hosted by Marty Stuart, runs the gamut from contemporary stars like Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown to Americana favorites like Keb’ Mo’ and Lucinda Williams,...
- 10/14/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
Steve Martin has played the banjo for nearly 60 years now. The instrument was a major part of his early stand-up comedy routines, and after he got more serious about it in the past two decades, his playing has won him multiple Grammys. Once he started touring and witnessing the sheer talent people had on the instrument, he had a revelation. “I thought, ‘This is equal to classical musicianship,'” he tells Rolling Stone. “And I was talking to a guy who was a master banjo player — he was one of...
- 10/12/2020
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
In June 1970, Elvis Presley made the trip east from his Graceland home in Memphis to Nashville, where he holed up in RCA Studio B on Music Row for five days of recording. Presley, who was in the midst of his Las Vegas comeback at the International Hotel, was joined by Music City sessions players like Charlie McCoy and Norbert Putnam — the legendary “Nashville Cats.” The result came to be known among fans as the “marathon sessions.”
Now, a new four-disc compilation assembles the masters from those halcyon days and captures Presley at his energetic best.
Now, a new four-disc compilation assembles the masters from those halcyon days and captures Presley at his energetic best.
- 8/7/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Rock & roll was in full creative bloom, the film version of the Woodstock festival was about to open in theaters, and Led Zeppelin had overtaken the Beatles as favorite rock band in a U.K. poll. But 50 years ago, on February 28th, 1970, the song that would hit Number One and remain there for six weeks wasn’t a rocker but a ballad, and, it turned out, the ballad the country seemed to need at the moment as the tumultuous Sixties ended.
Musically, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water...
Musically, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water...
- 2/28/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Twenty years ago, Marty Stuart found himself at a creative crossroads. Having straddled the lines of bluegrass, traditional country, rock, and even gospel music, Stuart shifted his priorities at the end of the decade and millenium, focusing his efforts on a project that would lead him, in his words, “to the outer edge of the awakenings of my true musical heart and soul.” The Pilgrim was a concept record based on the real life of Norman, a man in Stuart’s hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi, and the tangled romantic tale...
- 1/15/2020
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
The birth of banjo great Earl Scruggs — born 96 years ago on January 6th, 1924, in the Cleveland County community of Flint Hill, North Carolina — predated the debut of the Grand Ole Opry by less than two years, but since then the musician has become synonymous with the Opry, as well as bluegrass and country music.
In late September 1961, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, played a show at Greenville, South Carolina’s Memorial Auditorium, alongside fellow Opry stars Ray Price, Porter Wagoner, Minnie Pearl, Mother Maybelle Carter,...
In late September 1961, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, played a show at Greenville, South Carolina’s Memorial Auditorium, alongside fellow Opry stars Ray Price, Porter Wagoner, Minnie Pearl, Mother Maybelle Carter,...
- 1/6/2020
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
On November 28th, 1925, 94 years ago this week, the Wsm Barn Dance was born. Fashioned after the already popular National Barn Dance, which premiered in April 1924 on Chicago radio station Wls, the show would later be christened the Grand Ole Opry, after host George D. Hay noted that a slate of performers playing hillbilly music, fiddle tunes, and the like would follow a just-completed classical music program. On a Saturday night in 1927, just before harmonica whiz DeFord Bailey played “Pan American Blues,” Hay told the radio audience, “For the next three hours,...
- 11/28/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Imagine how intimidating it must be to sing with Bob Dylan for the first time. Now think of how Dylan must have felt singing alongside Johnny Cash in 1969 when the pair united for a loose recording session in Nashville. Cash was nine years Dylan’s senior, and had put out his first single in 1955, seven years before Dylan, who turned 28 that year. It’s rare to hear Dylan sound like a fan trying to be a peer, but that’s what’s evident here. Those sessions serve as the core of Travelin’ Thru,...
- 10/25/2019
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Hopping off the tailgate of his Sprinter touring van, Billy Strings readies himself for a rollicking set at the inaugural Railbird festival in Lexington, Kentucky. The six-string virtuoso grabs his guitar and tunes up, running through a few signature licks.
Strings sits back down and observes the other bands and festivalgoers milling about backstage. You can see it in his eyes: he’s engaged in a constant stream of thought as his fingers move up and down the fretboard. But that’s Strings — always watching. He takes those observations and...
Strings sits back down and observes the other bands and festivalgoers milling about backstage. You can see it in his eyes: he’s engaged in a constant stream of thought as his fingers move up and down the fretboard. But that’s Strings — always watching. He takes those observations and...
- 10/2/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
By the second half of the 20th century, country music was big business. Radio, records, television and movies all played a part in its popularity, but its artists and its songs were still at the forefront, even as profits soared or slumped. The second half of Ken Burns’ Country Music begins in 1964 and runs through the mid-Nineties, exploring everything from the rise of the Bakersfield Sound to the pop-country explosion of the Seventies, right up to Garth Brooks’ unprecedented approach to superstardom. Rolling Stone Country looks at 10 key moments from...
- 9/22/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
In February 1969, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash holed up in a Nashville studio for two days of loose, free-flowing sessions where they sang each other’s songs, jammed with rockabilly icon Carl Perkins, broke into spontaneous covers like “Mystery Train” and “You Are My Sunshine” and even wrote the the tune “Wanted Man” that Cash would debut at San Quentin prison just one week later. Their duet on “Girl From the North Country” appeared on Dylan’s LP Nashville Skyline later that April and select tracks from the sessions leaked...
- 9/19/2019
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
As the 1990s were coming to a close, musician Marty Stuart was newly married – to fellow Grand Ole Opry member Connie Smith – and looking back on a 10-year period that would afford him his greatest commercial success. His final record of the decade, The Pilgrim, while among his poorest selling at the time, has since become one of the country music Renaissance man’s most significant contributions to the genre, changing the trajectory of Stuart’s musical output and growing in stature since its release 20 years ago. A sweeping, yet...
- 9/10/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Marty Stuart has lined up three all-star evenings with entirely different themes for his stint as the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Artist-in-Residence, which begins September 11th in Nashville. Joining the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist throughout the series of intimate shows are fellow performers including Chris and Morgan Stapleton, Old Crow Medicine Show, John Prine, and Emmylou Harris.
The first of the three evenings, titled “The Pilgrim,” will take place September 11th and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Stuart’s album The Pilgrim. Joining him for the evening...
The first of the three evenings, titled “The Pilgrim,” will take place September 11th and celebrate the 20th anniversary of Stuart’s album The Pilgrim. Joining him for the evening...
- 6/19/2019
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
Just ahead of the September 15th premiere of the eight-part PBS documentary Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns, Legacy Recordings will unveil musical highlights from the 16-and-a-half-hour series with a deluxe five-cd set spanning the history of the genre.
The impressive track list represents artists featured in each of the series’ episodes, from the first stars of the genre, such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, to influential acts from the latter half of the 20th century, including Randy Travis and the Judds. The set will be released Friday,...
The impressive track list represents artists featured in each of the series’ episodes, from the first stars of the genre, such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, to influential acts from the latter half of the 20th century, including Randy Travis and the Judds. The set will be released Friday,...
- 6/13/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
On Friday evening, dobro player Jerry Douglas stood side stage at MerleFest and marveled watching Tyler Childers play the headlining slot in front of a capacity crowd numbering in the tens of thousands.
“It’s great to see all these new artists here,” Douglas says. “You know, Tyler used to come and watch this thing. So did Zac Brown and the Avett Brothers. And they’ve all eventually headlined here. It’s a sacred place to play — it’s a badge of honor.”
Childers, the rapidly-rising Americana/country star, played...
“It’s great to see all these new artists here,” Douglas says. “You know, Tyler used to come and watch this thing. So did Zac Brown and the Avett Brothers. And they’ve all eventually headlined here. It’s a sacred place to play — it’s a badge of honor.”
Childers, the rapidly-rising Americana/country star, played...
- 4/29/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
Marty Stuart’s dedication as one of greatest ambassadors and preservationists has earned him the honor of being named the latest artist-in-residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Stuart, the 16th performer to participate in the museum’s prestigious program, will curate a series of three shows, producing and performing in them with his band, the Fabulous Superlatives, and musical guests. Set for September 11th, 18th and 25th, each show will carry a specific theme.
On September 11th, Stuart will celebrate the re-release of his 10th studio album,...
On September 11th, Stuart will celebrate the re-release of his 10th studio album,...
- 4/16/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Over his 70-plus years in the spotlight, singer and guitarist Mac Wiseman helped build bluegrass and modern country music from the ground up. He remained a valuable mentor and ambassador for both genres until his death on February 24th. He was 93.
Of the many accomplishments from Wiseman’s career, two best represent his longevity and influence. He was the final surviving member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ original Foggy Mountain Boys. That fact alone makes him a key figure in the commercial and musical development of 1940s bluegrass. He...
Of the many accomplishments from Wiseman’s career, two best represent his longevity and influence. He was the final surviving member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ original Foggy Mountain Boys. That fact alone makes him a key figure in the commercial and musical development of 1940s bluegrass. He...
- 2/25/2019
- by Bobby Moore
- Rollingstone.com
Bluegrass bandleader Del McCoury, who turned 80 years old on February 1st, celebrated his birthday on the Grand Ole Opry stage Wednesday night surrounded by family, friends and fellow musicians. The celebration of McCoury’s life transformed the long-running live radio show into the “Grand Del Opry.”
The evening of musical tributes and collaborations included Opry members Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Old Crow Medicine Show and Jesse McReynolds, as well as guest artists Sam Bush, Abigail Washburn and the Travelin’ McCourys, the Grammy-winning group that includes Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury,...
The evening of musical tributes and collaborations included Opry members Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Old Crow Medicine Show and Jesse McReynolds, as well as guest artists Sam Bush, Abigail Washburn and the Travelin’ McCourys, the Grammy-winning group that includes Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury,...
- 2/14/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
“Few players have changed the way we hear an instrument the way Earl has, putting him in a category with Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix.”
Those words, penned by actor, comedian, author and banjo player Steve Martin, appeared in a New Yorker tribute following the 2012 death of legendary picker and Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, who revolutionized the three-finger style of banjo playing that now most commonly is referred to by his surname. Scruggs, who would have turned 95 years old on January 6th,...
Those words, penned by actor, comedian, author and banjo player Steve Martin, appeared in a New Yorker tribute following the 2012 death of legendary picker and Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, who revolutionized the three-finger style of banjo playing that now most commonly is referred to by his surname. Scruggs, who would have turned 95 years old on January 6th,...
- 1/11/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
When Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs took the Ryman Auditorium stage with Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys for their first appearance together on the Grand Ole Opry on December 8th, 1945, the moment was a sort of “big bang” for bluegrass. After leaving Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs would spin off into their own band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, performing together until an acrimonious split in early 1969.
With 13-year-old Marty Stuart in his new band, Nashville Grass, Flatt would continue on a more traditional musical path, while Scruggs recruited sons...
With 13-year-old Marty Stuart in his new band, Nashville Grass, Flatt would continue on a more traditional musical path, while Scruggs recruited sons...
- 1/10/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Watching guitarist Billy Strings onstage is akin to observing a hummingbird in its natural state.
Strings’ fingers zoom up and down the fretboard of his acoustic in an intricate and calculated frenzy. The scene may appear haphazard at first, but he’s in complete control, determinedly chasing that cosmic moment of improvisation.
“I grew up playing bluegrass with my dad. That’s how I cut my teeth when I was a little kid, and how I learned how to play music. But I learned how to perform when I was in a metal band,...
Strings’ fingers zoom up and down the fretboard of his acoustic in an intricate and calculated frenzy. The scene may appear haphazard at first, but he’s in complete control, determinedly chasing that cosmic moment of improvisation.
“I grew up playing bluegrass with my dad. That’s how I cut my teeth when I was a little kid, and how I learned how to play music. But I learned how to perform when I was in a metal band,...
- 1/2/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
During this week’s Cma Awards, three new inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame will be recognized. Along with legendary fiddle player Johnny Gimble and singer-songwriter Dottie West, both being recognized posthumously, eight-time Cma award winner Ricky Skaggs will be honored and is also listed as a performer.
The 1982 Horizon Award winner, Skaggs was only the second artist to earn that honor, now called New Artist of the Year. Skaggs was also largely responsible for returning bluegrass music to the mainstream, a feat that earned him the Cma...
The 1982 Horizon Award winner, Skaggs was only the second artist to earn that honor, now called New Artist of the Year. Skaggs was also largely responsible for returning bluegrass music to the mainstream, a feat that earned him the Cma...
- 11/13/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
As their clever name, a tribute to two all-time greats, suggests, Earls of Leicester pay homage with a powerful bluegrass sound dedicated solely to the music of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and delivered by six of the genre’s modern masters. The supergroup of pickers — Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, Barry Bales, Charlie Cushman, Johnny Warren and Jeff White — will release their latest Rounder Records album, Live at the Cma Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame, on September 28th.
Recorded over a two-night stand in Nashville, the LP...
Recorded over a two-night stand in Nashville, the LP...
- 9/20/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
When Roger McGuinn phoned into Rolling Stone earlier this week, he was just a few hours away from playing his first Byrds concert in over a quarter century. Well, sort of. His current run of shows may include his fellow Byrd Chris Hillman and they may be playing the group’s most beloved album, 1968’s Sweetheart of the Rodeo, straight through in honor of its 50th anniversary in addition to a whole other set of Byrds classics, but they aren’t billing this precisely as a reunion. Instead, it’s...
- 7/27/2018
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
By Lee Pfeiffer
I have always been a great admirer of Paul Henning, the crooner-turned-tv producer/writer of some of the best-loved shows of the 1960s. It was Henning who gave a voice to rural audiences by creating such classic TV series as The Beverly Hillbilllies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. If you revisit any of them today, they remain far superior to most contemporary sitcoms. Henning not only created shows that have timeless appeal, but he also brainstormed the concept of interweaving characters and plot devices between the series- a stroke of genius that brought cross-promotion marketing to new levels. Henning also prided himself on making his country characters eccentric, but never idiotic. They were simple people living simple lives and if they seemed to exist in a time warp, they were all honest, admirable folks. It was always the sophisticated city slickers who would get their comeuppance at...
I have always been a great admirer of Paul Henning, the crooner-turned-tv producer/writer of some of the best-loved shows of the 1960s. It was Henning who gave a voice to rural audiences by creating such classic TV series as The Beverly Hillbilllies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres. If you revisit any of them today, they remain far superior to most contemporary sitcoms. Henning not only created shows that have timeless appeal, but he also brainstormed the concept of interweaving characters and plot devices between the series- a stroke of genius that brought cross-promotion marketing to new levels. Henning also prided himself on making his country characters eccentric, but never idiotic. They were simple people living simple lives and if they seemed to exist in a time warp, they were all honest, admirable folks. It was always the sophisticated city slickers who would get their comeuppance at...
- 3/25/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Mumford & Sons, Gotye & Kimbra, Kelly Clarkson, Zac Brown Band and Fun. were just a few of the big winners at the 55th annual Grammy Awards telecast, hosted by LL Cool J and broadcast live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Read on for the recap...
For the Complete List of Winners Click Here.
The Winners
Album of the Year went to Babel by Mumford & Sons; Record of the Year went to Gotye & Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know; Fun. won Best New Artist, and their We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) was named Song of the Year; Kelly Clarkson's Stronger was named Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Album was awarded to Zac Brown Band's Uncaged.
Other big accolades handed out during Sunday night's telecast went to Carrie Underwood (Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away); Frank Ocean was the Best Urban Contemporary Album Winner for Channel Orange; The Black Keys earned Best Rock...
For the Complete List of Winners Click Here.
The Winners
Album of the Year went to Babel by Mumford & Sons; Record of the Year went to Gotye & Kimbra's Somebody That I Used To Know; Fun. won Best New Artist, and their We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monae) was named Song of the Year; Kelly Clarkson's Stronger was named Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Country Album was awarded to Zac Brown Band's Uncaged.
Other big accolades handed out during Sunday night's telecast went to Carrie Underwood (Best Country Solo Performance: Blown Away); Frank Ocean was the Best Urban Contemporary Album Winner for Channel Orange; The Black Keys earned Best Rock...
- 2/11/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
If you want to not only see the names, but hear the music from the top musicians who left us this year, this four-minute montage, "The Music They Made," posted by the New York Times last night is well worth your time. [More after the jump...] The compilation is reminder that the music world suffered some profound losses this year including Whitney Houston and Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. The video encompasses all formats, so a jazz genius like Dave Brubeck or bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs is alongside The Olivia Tremor Control’s Bill Doss, the Monkees’ Davy Jones, Ravi Shankar and Donna...
- 12/28/2012
- Hitfix
The Recording Academy has released the inductees for the 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame and it's quite the interesting mix.
Just how far does the list run the gamut? Two of the inductees are Frank Sinatra's recording of "Theme from 'New York, New York'" and Richard Pryor's comedy album, "That N-----'s Crazy."
"With the Grammy Hall Of Fame celebrating 40 years, it's especially important to note that these entries continue the tradition of inducting a wide variety of recordings that have inspired and influenced both fans and music makers for generations," President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow said in a release. "Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add them to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social, and cultural history."
Other standouts include AC/DC's "Back In Black," Elton John's self-titled album, and Billy Joel's "Piano Man.
Just how far does the list run the gamut? Two of the inductees are Frank Sinatra's recording of "Theme from 'New York, New York'" and Richard Pryor's comedy album, "That N-----'s Crazy."
"With the Grammy Hall Of Fame celebrating 40 years, it's especially important to note that these entries continue the tradition of inducting a wide variety of recordings that have inspired and influenced both fans and music makers for generations," President/CEO of The Recording Academy Neil Portnow said in a release. "Memorable for being both culturally and historically significant, we are proud to add them to our growing catalog of outstanding recordings that have become part of our musical, social, and cultural history."
Other standouts include AC/DC's "Back In Black," Elton John's self-titled album, and Billy Joel's "Piano Man.
- 11/21/2012
- by Madeline Boardman
- Huffington Post
Raindance have just announced their line-up for their 20th annual film festival. The 2012 festival will, like every year showcase some of the best independent movies that we can expect in the coming year and beyond. Raindance 2012 will take place 26th September to 7th October at the Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly Circus in London. This year we can expect to see 105 features, more than 138 shorts, 64 UK Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 5 European Premieres, 19 World Premieres and 24 Directorial Debuts from 38 countries.
Scroll down to see the full press release as well as all the feature films that will be showing at the festival. To find out more, click here to visit their official site.
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana.
Scroll down to see the full press release as well as all the feature films that will be showing at the festival. To find out more, click here to visit their official site.
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana.
- 9/4/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Miranda Lambert and Kelly Clarkson also took home awards on Sunday night.
By Gil Kaufman
Taylor Swift wins Entertainer Of The Year Award at the Country Music Awards
Photo: Getty Images
As the only girl in an all-male category, Taylor Swift faced some long odds to win her second consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards at Sunday night's 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony.
But the 22-year-old proudly became just the second woman to pull off the double play in the fan-voted category, and she told the crowd, "I'm so happy about this ... I want to say to my fellow nominees in this category, I respect you so much and I love you."
Swift had to attend the ceremony solo, though, as the New Jersey teenage cancer victim who scored a date with the singer to the show was hospitalized over the weekend. According to a Facebook post,...
By Gil Kaufman
Taylor Swift wins Entertainer Of The Year Award at the Country Music Awards
Photo: Getty Images
As the only girl in an all-male category, Taylor Swift faced some long odds to win her second consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards at Sunday night's 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony.
But the 22-year-old proudly became just the second woman to pull off the double play in the fan-voted category, and she told the crowd, "I'm so happy about this ... I want to say to my fellow nominees in this category, I respect you so much and I love you."
Swift had to attend the ceremony solo, though, as the New Jersey teenage cancer victim who scored a date with the singer to the show was hospitalized over the weekend. According to a Facebook post,...
- 4/2/2012
- MTV Music News
Tonight on the Academy of Country Music Awards, husband and wife Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert won several honors, and some country music fans married during the show. Taylor Swift took the top honor of entertainer of the year, and audience members tipped their hats in a tribute to bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs, who died last week in Nashville at age 88. "The Voice" mentor Shelton and Lambert married last year. The couple won three trophies between them including best male vocalist for him and two trophies for her, female vocalist and album of the year for "Four the Record." Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson also walked off with two awards, single record of the year and vocal event...
- 4/2/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Taylor Swift won her second consecutive entertainer of the year award at the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday night, just 24 hours after she was saluted by first lady Michelle Obama for her charity work on The Kids' Choice Awards.
Even by Swift's lofty standards, it was an outstanding weekend – though tempered with a little melancholy.
After hugging her way to the stage, she took a moment to say hello to Kevin McGuire and his family. McGuire, a high school football player and Swift fan who has cancer, was to have been Swift's date to the awards, but he was hospitalized and couldn't make it.
"He's not here but I promised him I would give him a shoutout," Swift said of the Somerdale, N.J., resident.
The 22-year-old Swift becomes just the second woman to win the award twice after Carrie Underwood accomplished that feat before Swift. She beat...
Even by Swift's lofty standards, it was an outstanding weekend – though tempered with a little melancholy.
After hugging her way to the stage, she took a moment to say hello to Kevin McGuire and his family. McGuire, a high school football player and Swift fan who has cancer, was to have been Swift's date to the awards, but he was hospitalized and couldn't make it.
"He's not here but I promised him I would give him a shoutout," Swift said of the Somerdale, N.J., resident.
The 22-year-old Swift becomes just the second woman to win the award twice after Carrie Underwood accomplished that feat before Swift. She beat...
- 4/2/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Earl Scruggs, bluegrass and banjo legend, passed away Wednesday (March 28) at the age of 88 from natural causes. The country community wanted to pay tribute to such an influential musician at the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday night (April 1), so Rascal Flatts performed "Banjo" with special guest-starring banjo player actor/comedian Steve Martin.
If you were unaware, Martin has been picking a banjo for years - he even released an album which you should totally check out if you are a fan of banjo music. It's quite good. The whole performance was a wonderful tribute to the late Scruggs, who is known as having revolutionized banjo playing by popularizing the three-finger picking method that became known as the "Scruggs picking style."
We'll post video of the Acm Awards performance as soon as we can, but for now, here's a great video of Scruggs performing with Steve Martin on "The Late Show...
If you were unaware, Martin has been picking a banjo for years - he even released an album which you should totally check out if you are a fan of banjo music. It's quite good. The whole performance was a wonderful tribute to the late Scruggs, who is known as having revolutionized banjo playing by popularizing the three-finger picking method that became known as the "Scruggs picking style."
We'll post video of the Acm Awards performance as soon as we can, but for now, here's a great video of Scruggs performing with Steve Martin on "The Late Show...
- 4/2/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Most Ironic Editing: Ticked at fellow Survivor Jonas, Tarzan declared “I can’t look at that face anymore!”… as viewers were “treated” to a show of the older man’s blue-briefs-clad butt.
Best Mocking: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart took The Last Word’s Lawrence O’Donnell (whose broadcast is feeling more and more like Nancy Grace’s… and that ain’t a good thing) to task for his overheated grilling of an empty chair in which Trayvon Martin’s attorney was supposed to be sitting.
The Hope-For-The-Future Award Goes To…: Community, whose ratings since returning are stronger despite stiff competition. Please, NBC, don’t take Greendale away from us!
Grossest Reality Show Yet: Lifetime’s 7 Days Of Sex encourages couples who are on the brink of divorce to, as the title suggests, have sex every night for a week. Wonder if they stipulate that it has to be with one another?...
Best Mocking: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart took The Last Word’s Lawrence O’Donnell (whose broadcast is feeling more and more like Nancy Grace’s… and that ain’t a good thing) to task for his overheated grilling of an empty chair in which Trayvon Martin’s attorney was supposed to be sitting.
The Hope-For-The-Future Award Goes To…: Community, whose ratings since returning are stronger despite stiff competition. Please, NBC, don’t take Greendale away from us!
Grossest Reality Show Yet: Lifetime’s 7 Days Of Sex encourages couples who are on the brink of divorce to, as the title suggests, have sex every night for a week. Wonder if they stipulate that it has to be with one another?...
- 3/30/2012
- by theTVaddict
- The TV Addict
When "Game of Thrones" returns to HBO on Sunday for its second season, the days of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell will be behind us, with the reign of Tyrion Lannister (and another Emmy-worthy performance from Peter Dinklage) in our future. Read some reviews!
Get more "Extra" scoop headlines for March 30!
Titanic 'Still Sinks' in 3-D, James Cameron Confirms - MTV.com
Bluegrass Legend Earl Scruggs Dies at Age 88 - Kansas City Star
Carson Daly...
Get more "Extra" scoop headlines for March 30!
Titanic 'Still Sinks' in 3-D, James Cameron Confirms - MTV.com
Bluegrass Legend Earl Scruggs Dies at Age 88 - Kansas City Star
Carson Daly...
- 3/30/2012
- Extra
Big news! Gavin Creel will be headlining the national tour of The Book of Mormon as Elder Price. The tour kicks off August 14th in Denver and will hit 15 cities during the run. A second tour is planned beginning December 12th.
The latest polls in North Carolina show Amendment 1 passing easily, banning both marriage equality and civil unions. The troubling thing is that a significant portion of the population doesn't even know what the amendment does. Some think it actually legalizes marriage equality, and some think it brings about civil unions.
Not helping of course is the National Organization for Marriage, who actually budgeted " $120,000 for a project to locate children of gay households willing to denounce their parents on camera." I'll be sharing oxygen with Maggie Gallagher next week for the second time in two years, and I'm not looking forward to it.
I don't even know what to say about AOL's new Mandatory.
The latest polls in North Carolina show Amendment 1 passing easily, banning both marriage equality and civil unions. The troubling thing is that a significant portion of the population doesn't even know what the amendment does. Some think it actually legalizes marriage equality, and some think it brings about civil unions.
Not helping of course is the National Organization for Marriage, who actually budgeted " $120,000 for a project to locate children of gay households willing to denounce their parents on camera." I'll be sharing oxygen with Maggie Gallagher next week for the second time in two years, and I'm not looking forward to it.
I don't even know what to say about AOL's new Mandatory.
- 3/30/2012
- by lostinmiami
- The Backlot
Earl Scruggs, the Bluegrass legend and banjo master, died Wednesday morning at the age of 88, and he has left his fans quite the musical legacy with his songs.
The Associated Press didn't mince words when describing the contributions Earl Scruggs bestowed upon this nation's culture, describing him as a "pioneering banjo player who helped create modern country music," an icon in the vein of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
The day after he died, Earl Scruggs fans turned to YouTube to record tributes. Some posted covers of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," the remarkable 1949 track by Scruggs and Lester Flatt, while others thanked him for his contributions to music. Still more fans were searching the web for recordings of his biggest hits.
Scores of celebrities remembered Scruggs on Twitter. Country star Dierks Bentley said Scruggs should always be remembered for inventing the three-finger style of playing the banjo and noted that Scruggs was not a single-genre icon.
The Associated Press didn't mince words when describing the contributions Earl Scruggs bestowed upon this nation's culture, describing him as a "pioneering banjo player who helped create modern country music," an icon in the vein of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
The day after he died, Earl Scruggs fans turned to YouTube to record tributes. Some posted covers of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," the remarkable 1949 track by Scruggs and Lester Flatt, while others thanked him for his contributions to music. Still more fans were searching the web for recordings of his biggest hits.
Scores of celebrities remembered Scruggs on Twitter. Country star Dierks Bentley said Scruggs should always be remembered for inventing the three-finger style of playing the banjo and noted that Scruggs was not a single-genre icon.
- 3/29/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
A peerless musician who can only be described as one of the finest and most important instrumentalists of the last century—and, on his instrument, the greatest who ever lived—bluegrass legend and world-champion banjo shredder Earl Scruggs died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 88. Scruggs lived such a long, eventful life that in some ways he outlived the breadth of his influence. The footprint he put on modern music is still indelible, and hearing it is as easy as turning on a radio or a TV. He is an architect of country music, a model for every player ...
- 3/29/2012
- avclub.com
Earl Scruggs, the banjo playing, singing and composing great whose twanging bluegrass themes for TV's The Beverly Hillbillies and the Bonnie and Clyde movie achieved Top of the Chart status in the '60s, died Wednesday of natural causes at a Nashville hospital, his son Gary Scruggs told CNN. He was 88. "It's not just bluegrass, it's American music," bluegrass fan-turned-country star Dierks Bentley told the Associated Press about Scruggs's output. "There's 17- or 18-year-old kids turning on today's country music and hearing that banjo and they have no idea where that came from. That sound has probably always been there...
- 3/29/2012
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
Getty Images Musician Earl Scruggs performs onstage during day one of California’s Stagecoach Country Music Festival held at the Empire Polo Club on April 25, 2009 in Indio, California.
Earl Scruggs, the most significant banjo player in American music history, died of natural causes yesterday in a Nashville hospital. He was 88 years old.
Born in Shelby, North Carolina, Scruggs enjoyed artistic and commercial success with his distinctive three-finger picking style on the five-string banjo, which permitted him to play lightning quick...
Earl Scruggs, the most significant banjo player in American music history, died of natural causes yesterday in a Nashville hospital. He was 88 years old.
Born in Shelby, North Carolina, Scruggs enjoyed artistic and commercial success with his distinctive three-finger picking style on the five-string banjo, which permitted him to play lightning quick...
- 3/29/2012
- by Jim Fusilli
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Bluegrass and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs has passed away at the age of 88, says his son Gary. Scruggs died of natural causes Wednesday morning (March 28) at a Nashville, Tenn. hospital.
Scruggs is credited with bringing the banjo from a rhythm section instrument to a lead instrument by his three-finger approach to picking, rather than the clawhammer style. His way of playing became known as the "Scruggs picking style" that helped popularize the banjo across many different kinds of music.
He made his debut with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys in the 1940s at the Grand Ole Opry and later teamed with Lester Flatt. They were best known for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" from "The Beverly Hillbillies."
Scruggs and Flatt were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985, but he hadn't stopped playing in recent years. Just 10 years ago he released "Earl Scruggs and Friends,...
Scruggs is credited with bringing the banjo from a rhythm section instrument to a lead instrument by his three-finger approach to picking, rather than the clawhammer style. His way of playing became known as the "Scruggs picking style" that helped popularize the banjo across many different kinds of music.
He made his debut with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys in the 1940s at the Grand Ole Opry and later teamed with Lester Flatt. They were best known for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" from "The Beverly Hillbillies."
Scruggs and Flatt were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985, but he hadn't stopped playing in recent years. Just 10 years ago he released "Earl Scruggs and Friends,...
- 3/29/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Nashville, Tenn. -- It may be impossible to overstate the importance of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs to American music. A pioneering banjo player who helped create modern country music, his sound is instantly recognizable and as intrinsically wrapped in the tapestry of the genre as Johnny Cash's baritone or Hank Williams' heartbreak.
Scruggs died Wednesday morning at age 88 of natural causes. The legacy he helped build with bandleader Bill Monroe, guitarist Lester Flatt and the rest of the Blue Grass Boys was evident all around Nashville, where he died in an area hospital. His string-bending, mind-blowing way of picking helped transform a regional sound into a national passion.
"It's not just bluegrass, it's American music," bluegrass fan turned country star Dierks Bentley said. "There's 17- or 18-year-old kids turning on today's country music and hearing that banjo and they have no idea where that came from. That sound...
Scruggs died Wednesday morning at age 88 of natural causes. The legacy he helped build with bandleader Bill Monroe, guitarist Lester Flatt and the rest of the Blue Grass Boys was evident all around Nashville, where he died in an area hospital. His string-bending, mind-blowing way of picking helped transform a regional sound into a national passion.
"It's not just bluegrass, it's American music," bluegrass fan turned country star Dierks Bentley said. "There's 17- or 18-year-old kids turning on today's country music and hearing that banjo and they have no idea where that came from. That sound...
- 3/29/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
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