The annual International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass event concluded last month in Nashville, Tennessee. This is bluegrass music’s biggest event of the year, featuring three days of seminars and workshops, official showcases presenting the latest hot new bands, and late night showcases into the wee hours. The week also features a fabulous three-day festival called Fan Fest as well as the annual Awards Show, held at the historic Ryman Auditorium. At the awards show, which is the equivalent of the bluegrass Oscars or Emmys, the best of the best receive awards.
Here is a rundown on this year’s winners in key categories. If you want to hear a broadcast of the Awards Show you can find it in the archives on KSON’s “Bluegrass Special” radio show hosted by Wayne Rice at http://www.kson.com/bluegrass/:
Hall of Fame Inductees for 2012
Doyle Lawson, Ralph Rinzler
Entertainer of the Year
The Gibson Brothers
Vocal Group of the Year
Blue Highway
Instrumental Group of the Year
The Boxcars
Male Vocalist of the Year
Russell Moore
Female Vocalist of the Year
Dale Ann Bradley
Emerging Artist of the Year
Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers
Album of the Year
Heart of a Song, Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year
“Angeline the Baker” by Lonesome River Band
Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year
“Singing as We Rise” by the Gibson Brothers with Ricky Skaggs
Song of the Year
“A Far Cry from Lester and Earl” by Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Recorded Event of the Year
“Life Goes On” by Carl Jackson, Ronnie Bowman, Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley, Rickey Wasson, Randy Kohrs, D.A. Adkins, Garnet Bowman, Lynn Butler, Ashley Kohrs, Gary Payne, Dale Pyatt, Clay Hess, Alan Bibey, Jay Weaver, Ron Stewart and Jim VanCleve (artists); Jerry Salley, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Jim Van Cleve and Randy Kohrs (producers); Rural Rhythm Records
Banjo Player of the Year
Sammy Shelor
Guitar Player of the Year
Doc Watson
Fiddle Player of the Year
Stuart Duncan
Bass Player of the Year
Marshall Wilborn
Mandolin Player of the Year
Adam Steffey
Dobro Player of the Year
Rob Ickes
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Byron Berline
Joe and Lil Cornett
Orin Friesen
Kitsy Kuykendall
Darrell “Pee Wee” Lambert
Broadcaster of the Year
Kyle Cantrell, Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Print Media Person of the Year
Marty Godbey, author of Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe (University of Illinois Press)
Bluegrass Event of the Year
ROMP, produced by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year
Jon Weisberger
Best Graphic Design
Bedrock Manufacturing (designer) for Nobody Knows You, by the Steep Canyon Rangers (Rounder Records)
Best Liner Notes
Marian Leighton Levy (liner notes), for Tony Rice: The Bill Monroe Collection, by Tony Rice (Rounder Records) 2012
St. Mark’s Bluegrass Concert November 18th. St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and the San Diego Bluegrass Society will be presenting their annual bluegrass concert on Sunday, November 18 at 6:30 pm. The concert is free, with donations being solicited for this fundraiser event. Two bands will be presented. The church is located at 3502 Clairemont Drive. Hope to see you there!
Band Scramble! Time to get your instruments out for an SDBS band scramble to be held on Tuesday, November 27th at the Boll Weevil Restaurant at 9330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. The action starts at 6:30 pm with open mic, followed by a show by Wood ‘n’ Lipps from 7- 7:20 and then a band scramble open to all ages and all levels from 7:20 to 9 pm. Come out and join the fun!
Rest in Peace Don Tucker. Don Tucker, long-time producer of the Huck Finn Jubilee Bluegrass Festival held every June in Victorville passed away on October 15th following a massive stroke. Don was a true friend of bluegrass. Ron Thomasson of the Dry Branch Fire Squad had this to say: Don was a gentle man. He made the “job” of being a bluegrass producer and promoter a class occupation. His influence went far beyond the quality of his festivals, the bands he helped and befriended, and the fun he turned his Huck Finn Jubilee into for all who worked there and all who attended. I’m sure in his humility he never realized the wonderful effect he had on so many.
He not only presented a great event, but he introduced so many in the bluegrass community to the wonderful “home” of Huck Finn: Victorville…. So today I feel like George Shuffler once told me that he felt. George said, “If we’d [he and Carter and Ralph Stanley] had any idea folks would be listening to those recordings 60 years later we wouldda tried to do better.” If I had ever known just this past June that I would have never seen Don again, I sure would have thanked him “better” if I could have thought of a way. But then, you all know what Flatt and Scruggs sang about “giving flowers.” Don just showed us all the truth of that song — and so much more throughout his career in bluegrass music.
Rest in Peace Don. you will be missed.
