Bluegrass legends bid farewell?

In a story that ran in the Monday print edition of the New Era, officials from the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame in Owensboro said this year's celebration could be the last of its kind (I've included the link here to the Associated Press story that ran in the Houston Chronicle, but the original story came from the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.)

Ginger Boatwright, a Bluegrass legend, is 67 years old.

In the story, it laments the rapid aging of the inaugural Bluegrass generation; in fact, Earl Scruggs is the only member of the classic Blue Grass Boys band -- made popular by the father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe -- still living.

Unfortunately I did not get to hear Scruggs play when I attended the event, but I heard he had quite a crowd. Needless to say, I did not realize the monumental occasion I had the privilege to be a part of during my short time at the festival, but looking back, I've come to a realization: almost to a person, the attendees at the event were slightly old.

"Slightly" is probably not the most descriptive adjective to use to describe the age of the participants, but it could be the kindest, so let's run with it. I noticed a few children, but by and large, most attendees at the event could have passed for somebody's grandparents.

Is this merely a sign that the fans are growing older along with the stars they've cherished for years, or a bigger, more threatening shift for Bluegrass music? With the original guard dwindling in size, will those interested in the genre decrease proportionally?

Roy Chapman, Pike County, has played for almost 40 years

I'd like to think this won't be the case, that new fans will continue to surface everyday. And maybe they will; two of the people I met at the fair, the men who roadtripped 16-hours from Connecticut to see Scruggs play, were definitely some of the youngest in the crowd. Personally, the music is growing on me and I wouldn't be surprised to find myself at a Bluegrass festival or two in the near future.

Nationally--and realistically--though, I think the hill facing those trying to promote Bluegrass music only continues to steepen. At the time it was created, it was obviously a new sound, promoted amongst fans already accustomed to country music but ready for a new twist. Today, as depressing as it may be, the speed and expertise of a skilled banjo or mandolin player just doesn't grab the attention of most young people they way a synthesizer and teen-angst lyrics can.

Not too many children took in the Doug Dillard concert

Bluegrass has never truly competed with pop or rock music for the majority of American listeners, and I don't think it was created with that intention in mind. However, through my limited research into the genre, I've learned that the people who gravitate to the music are what make it special.

With many of the genre stalwarts passing on though, will the remaining members of Bluegrass be able to attract and cultivate the following and culture that make the current combination of banjo, mandolin and guitar so special?

Thanks for your continued support of and comments about my column. Tomorrow we'll take a look at some of the recent response I've received concerning the bucket list.

The sound of Kentucky

Doug Dillard greeted me kindly after his show

I have a guitar, and I try and strum a note or two every now and then. I've had no real training--except reluctant, quick lessons from my slightly more talented brother--but after practicing for a while I'll get the wild notion that I can actually play the instrument.

After watching some of the musicians at the celebration for Bill Monroe at the International Bluegrass Hall of Fame in Owensboro, though, it's confirmed: I'm abysmal, and they're absolutely fantastic.


My extremely limited musical ability has allowed me to respect truly blessed musicians, regardless of the genre. Before the event, I had never really listened to a great of Bluegrass, or had the urge to. However, watching Doug Dillard and his compatriots fly through songs with such skill made me appreciate the music as so much more than its the traditional, simple genre it is touted to be.

I realize the song content, at least the ones I've heard, is fairly similar to themes prevalent in country music, another genre people tend to view as a little backward. But really, the ability this musicians  showed, to adeptly play with one another while maintaining their own style at an impressive frantic pace, gave me a new respect for the music.


Getting to see Doug Dillard was interesting; my parents were always fans of 'The Andy Griffith Show,' and my dad was pretty excited when he heard I got to see one of the stars of The Darlings play. While he was most certainly talented though, I was equally impressed with his bandmates. Although the band he runs with know is known as The Doug Dillard Band, the person who seems to lead the group and sings the majority of the sings is Ginger Boatwright. The self-proclaimed queen of bluegrass, she was cracking jokes and interacting with the crowd for the entire show.

Roger Rasnake also played guitar, with Steve Cooley on mandolin and Buddy Griffin on bass. Cooley was nuts on the mandolin; I had never really been exposed to mandolin music before, but it appears to take an exceptional amount of focus and hand-eye coordination to excel on the instrument.

Other notes from the hall of fame:

• I was a little bummed about the timing of the festival: Monday through Wednesday, mostly taking place during the day. I understand that perhaps it was the best time to get everyone in the same spot, but I'm confident the event would have had a much higher turnout if they had planned the celebration for a weekend.
• The museum itself was interesting despite its relatively small size. I've never been to any other music hall of fame, and I know the hall and museum have only been around for about 15 years, but I had managed to go through the exhibit twice in about 20 minutes. Seemed like there would be more.
• I would have absolutely loved to buy a Bluegrass CD or two while I was there, but they cost was generally between $25-30 for any collection. I don't blame the museum for trying to make a profit, and obviously those who tend to come to the museum are a little more invested in the music than me, but I found multiple Bill Monroe CDs online for less than $10. 
• I'd love to learn to play the banjo or mandolin; no real practical reason, but they seem to pretty entertaining instruments.
• Found a quotation from Bill Monroe at the museum that I really loved: "Bluegrass has brought more people together and made more friends than any music in the world." By the congenial air I found everywhere at the festival, I can see where Monroe was coming from.
• The first video on the blog shows Doug Dillard playing banjo in my favorite Bluegrass song, Dooley, on "The Andy Griffith Show." The next video is of Dillard, again on banjo, and The Darlings playing a song called "There is a time." 

Thanks again for your continued support of the column. Although I attended the festival by myself, I'll provide more information about the event and the style in tomorrow's post.