Categories
Bluegrass Music

2026 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival – WOW!

I wasn’t sure if last year’s Charlotte Bluegrass Festival could be topped by having Billy Strings perform, but Wes Pettinger (promoter and organizer) sure did it this year!

The 2026 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival is one for the books. It was amazing all three days, but especially on Friday and Saturday. Let’s cover it some from my perspective:

Vendors – I swore last year that I was not going to eat any of the food sold there, if it meant that I pack a bunch of granola bars in my backpack (which I did). However, dopey me had a craving for french fries one day. For $8.00 I got a Solo cup of fries that must have been cooked in oil old enough to come from King Tut’s tomb! I have NEVER tasted such bad french fries. Never again! I do have to say that the ice cream vendor was decent (you can’t go wrong with ice cream), and I did start to get addicted to the cinnamon roasted almonds. But no fried foods from the vendors ever again!

Friends – along with the usual crew from the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association, I was able to befriend a few new people. The first was a guy named Stevie (his father named him after Stevie Ray Vaughan). A big, bald loveable man who loves to cook, he was handing out sandwiches to anyone that was interested. As we sat watching bands during Friday and Saturday, he was asking me questions about bluegrass music and the bands/artists that perform. The highlight of the time hanging out with him was on Saturday night, for the 50/50 drawing, he tells me that he should buy some tickets, sonce his dad says he is a good luck charm. Sure enough, the guy won $1,100!. He did join SEMBMA, and plans to attend out annual picnic/pot luck event in August (already telling me the food he’ll bring).

Another new friend is Kaitlyn. She recently moved to Michigan from Wisconsin, and was only able to attend the Saturday evening shows due to work and school. She was dancing with an old guy (not me!) who dances with any gal that will let him, and was actually enjoying herself. We got to talking, and she didn’t have many friends or contacts in Michigan to see other bluegrass events, so I told her to stay in touch with me and I would let her know what’s going on in the area.

David Mayfield Parade – What can I say about this band that I haven’t said already? There is not another band out there (bluegrass or otherwise) that can generate that much energy on stage and geteven the lamest crowd motivated. I absolutely love these guys, they are truly one of the best out there! Unfortunately, they were only playing the festival on Thursday, so hopefully next year they will do two or all three days.

Dan Tyminski – Dan has been promoting his solo stuff for the past few years since he left Alison Krauss & Union Station. While his more recent solo material leans more toward the Americana format, he was smart enough Thursday night to know his audience. Almost all of his set was songs from his first solo project, his time with AKUS or the Lonesome River Band, and a few old bluegrass standards for good measure. He looked a lot thinner than his days with AKUS, so hopefully it is due to dieting and exercise (like myself).

Del McCoury/Larry Sparks/Billy Strings – I’ve lumped them together due to the amazing Friday and Saturday that was created. I swear, Billy must have a GPS tether on his butt, as once the rumor spread that he would be at the festival on Friday, the grounds filled with Billy Goats! Now, even if Billy didn’t show up, both sets by Del and Larry would have been extraordinary, as they are both true entertainers and legends in the bluegrass community. However, Billy’s surprise appearance on both evenings set the festival ablaze to say the least.

The Travelin’ McCourys (the Del McCoury Band without Del, and guitarist Cody Kilby added as a member) did two sets. Sons Rob and Ronnie McCoury have been doing the bluegrass circuit since they were teens, and this configuration allows them to perform material a bit more progressive than what they would be doing with their father. The afternoon set saw Billy come on to perform a few numbers with the band, which by that time there was no breathing room in front of the stage due to the Billy Goats (I can still smell the patchouli and weed two days latern and I am still gagging from it).

Del’s set was incredible to say the least. At 87 years old, he still kicks it out with an amazing tenor voice and puts bluegrassers less than half of his age to shame. Dell did only one set, and when Billy joined him, Billy brought his father on stage to play guitar as well. Those of us who were there last year remember that Billy’s mother died the night that Billy headlined the festival, and Wes would later dedicated this year’s festival to her memory.

Larry Sparks goes beyond legendary. From the time he played with the Stanley Brothers to today, his down-home voice and trademark guitar sound are an absolute treasure. Surprisingly, there were not as many Billy Goats there on Saturday, so when Billy came on stage with Larry to perform the old Stanley Brothers’ song “Lonesome River,” the front of the stage had more of the die-hard traditional bluegrass fans standing. One can definitely see the gratitude in Billy’s eyes and on his face. Like a kid in a candy store, he is totally enjoying and appreciating the fact that he is able to perform on stage with his bluegrass heroes. I was also amazed that the Billy Goats that were there knew a lot about Larry, as they were shouting out requests of his songs.

Of course, I had to bug my buddy Ken all weekend on what was happening by sending him texts and photos. Every year I tell him the dates for the festival months in advance, and every year he misses it. I told him today the next year’s dates (a whole year away), and he says that he is inking it in.

Yes, June 24-26 are already planned for me, even though I don’t have a clue as to what bands are performing. Next year’s festival will also include a Kids Academy set up by SEMBMA for children to learn more about bluegrass and learning to play instruments. At this point, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to assist in that, but I will be at the the main three days. I really do not know how this year can be topped.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bass Guitar

The Fender 1962 James Jamerson Precision Bass Guitar

This past week, Fender officially released the limited edition James Jamerson 1962 Precision Bass (https://www.fender.com/products/james-jamerson-1962-precision-bass). At a cost of $3,000.00 retail, it is definitely more than the standard Precision bass available. However, the reasoning behind issuing this tribute instrument seems totally worthwhile.

Every bassist in the rock, jazz, blues, and R&B genres today is in some way influenced by Jamerson. He is often considered the greatest bass player in modern pop music history. Born in South Carolina, he move with his family to Detroit at a young age. He learned to play upright bass while in high school, and turned down a college music scholarship in order to play in the jazz clubs around town.

In 1959, he began to get work at Berry Gordy’s Hitsville USA studio, the home of Motown Records. He became the main bass player for what became known as the Funk Brothers, a group of musicians that created the “Motown Sound” on hundreds of recordings in the 1960s and early 1970s. The list of his work is earth shaking: “My Girl” by the Temptations, “You Can’t Hurry Love” by the Supremes, “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha and the Vandellas, “Bernadette” by the Four Tops, “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder, and “Going to a Go-Go” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles just to name a few.

Because Gordy felt that the Funk Brothers were merely employees of Motown, the members never received any recognition with their work. Their names never appeared on any liner notes until 1971, when Marvin Gaye listed them on his What’s Going On album. While recording the title track, Gaye would not proceed until Jamerson was located to lay down the bass track. When found, Jamerson was highly intoxicated, and was unable to stand upright. He recorded the legendary bass lines while lying on his back.

When Motown Records moved to Los Angeles in 1972, Jamerson made the move as well, but found that LA studios had a different attitude than what he experienced in Detroit. They required exact reading of charts, and a more bright sound from the bass guitar using roundwound strings (Jamerson had always used flatwound strings, similar to what was used on upright basses). While he did appear on some disco hits of the era, he slowly lost access to studio jobs by the 1980s. In 1983, Jamerson died of cirrhosis due to complications from alchoholism.

Largely forgotten immediately after his death, a book in 1989 entitled Standing in the Shadows of Motown did an extensive biography on Jamerson, including interviews with many rock and jazz bassists. The 2002 documentary of the same name highlighted his work along with the other Funk Brothers. Today, the number of bassists that name Jamerson as an influence is endless: Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Geddy Lee, Bootsy Collins, Flea, Stanley Clarke and Sting just to name a few. Jamerson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Funk Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.

Back to the bass guitar, this is a recreation of the 1962 Precision bass that Jamerson used during most of his career. It was his third Precision model (the previous two were stolen), and he used a Fender Bass V and a Hagstrom eight-string bass on occasion. This bass comes with a rosewood fretboard, a three-tone sunburst body, chrome covers for the pickup and bridge, and a finger rest (guitarists playing the bass in the early days often used the thumb for plucking the strings). It is strung with flatwound strings, which give off a much more hollow sound closer to an upright bass. Jamerson was known to never change his strings unless they broke, so they may have remained on the bass for years. He claimed that the dirty strings gave the sound its “funk.”

While this bass guitar may get the player closed to the “Motown Sound,” one needs to remember that the bass is only half of the sound. In the studio, Jamerson’s bass was plugged directly into the mixing board. Strangely, many of the guitars were as well, and the monitoring for all of these instruments was done through a large speaker, which some of it bled back into the drum and other microphones while recording. When he did use an amplifier, it was usually an Ampeg B-15 Portaflex tube amp/speaker combo (one of the absolute best bass amps ever made!), or a Kustom stack.

If I had $3,000 to spare, would I snag this bass? Absolutely! Not only due to the sound that the early Precision basses gave off, but to appreciate the work that Jamerson gave to modern pop music. I recommend anyone to watch the 2002 documentary on the Funk Brothers, and if in Detroit, to visit the Motown Museum to see the “Snake Pit,” the recording studio that so many hits from the 1960s were recorded at. Jamerson deserves so much more recognition in the music industry than what he has received, but this Precision bass helps.

Next weekend I will be at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, so the blog may be late.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Bluegrass Festival Jamming Preparation

I will be heading to the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival in a few weeks, and this time, I plan to do some jamming after the shows. Besides getting a good supply of energy drinks so I can stay up past my normal bedtime, there are a few other things that I am either taking or preparing for.

Before packing, I need to check to make sure the guitar is ready as well. I will most likely be taking the Martin D-28 “Hazel” with me, as my Cirrus acoustic is at the Cirrus Guitar shop getting a modification. At the last jam session there this past Thursday, I asked Mike Franks to install the 1946 penny into the back of the headstock (https://luegra.design.blog/2026/04/19/the-1946-penny/). I haven’t picked it up in a while, so the strings may need changing, and I will want to stretch them out a bit before the jamming weekend.

A few other things that I will be taking along:

  • An extra set (or two) of strings. It is insurance just in case I do break a string, as well as being neighborly and offering a replacement to someone else that breaks one.
  • A fake book. Since I have been writing my own material over the past few years, I have slacked off on knowing many of the bluegrass standards by heart. Until the Charlotte weekend comes, I plan to spend every available minute thumbing through my fake books and re-familiarizing myself with them. I blogged about fake books a while back (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/07/17/a-brief-look-at-bluegrass-fake-books/), and while I don’t plan on playing just old bluegrass standards, It is nice to know that I have references.
  • Tool kit. I am not sure if I mentioned this item before in a previous blog, but I have been finding that if I go to a jam session or even a bluegrass show, I take along one of these. It is a case about the size of a ladies wallet, and consists of tools that one may need in emergency repair situations, such as string winder, string cutter, truss rod hex key, screwdriver, and other maintenance items. You can get one of these for about $20.00 through wish.com or Temu. They are not the most quality tools, but they work in that emergency. I usually throw in additional items in my kit, including the Roadie Rench-like multi-tool (available from D-Addario) and a feeler gauge.
  • Recording device. It is possible to record with my phone, but I have a pocket digital recorder used by some people to record notes instead of writing them down on a small pad or sticky note. I temporarily lost my good one, so I picked up another one, then found my original buried under some books. These recorders are small, about the size of a large pack of gum, and are very easy to use. The second one I have charges via USB for power, and both have proven to be worth keeping around at all times to record a lyric thought or a guitar riff for later use. I purchased my second one from Temu for less than $15.00, so I recommend snagging one.
  • Calling cards. You never know who you will be talking to at one of these bluegrass festivals. I hand these out a lot over the weekend, most notably to artists when I am trying to push some of my songs, but also other fans and players for future jamming and correspondence.

This year’s festival looks fantastic as far as a lineup. Along with my favorite band the David Mayfield Parade, the legendary Del McCoury is scheduled to perform, along with the Travelin’ McCourys, Larry Sparks, and the Dan Tyminski Band. Considering the Billy Strings played last year, this festival is proving to be a go-to for national bluegrass acts of A-list stature. I am so looking forward to these three days.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Musical Instruments

Another Goodwill Find: Daisy Rock

So I found another “bargain” on ShopGoodwill.com. This time, it was a Daisy Rock Debutante guitar. I had done an interview with the owner of Daisy Rock, Tish Ciravolo, years back for an online music magazine, and I know that Daisy Rock puts out quality guitars and basses geared toward the beginning young girl player.

Ciravolo founded Daisy Rock back in 2000, inspired by her daughter’s interest in music, and the marketing at that time in the musical instrument industry tended to be geared toward young males. Her designs for electric guitars and basses tended to have a more visual appeal to girls, with bodies shaped like hearts, flowers and stars. What set these guitars apart from other beginner instruments was that quality went into the product. Hardware was much more durable and professional in feel.

Through the years, Daisy Rock’s lineup changed, moving more toward traditional body styles like Les Pauls and Stratocasters. However, this past year, the lineup was narrowed down to one design, bringing back the heart-shaped “Heartbreaker” guitars and basses. Ciravolos has won many awards in the music industry for her innovations and dedication to the music industry.

The Debutante models, like the one I snagged, were mostly Les Paul inspired, being a single cutaway and a hard (non vibrato) tailpiece. This particular example has only one humbucker pickup in the bridge position, and a single volume control. Cost may have been a factor, but for a beginning guitarist, this may be smart, with less knobs to figure out and to have the player concentrate more on actual practice.

A feature prevalent on most Daisy Rock guitars, including this Debutante, is the extremely short scale of the fretboard/string length. At 22 ½ inches, it is more than two inches shorter than a typical Gibson scale. This is set up perfectly for the pre-teen and early teen player to get started without getting frustrated about stretching out the fingers to form a chord.

As stated before, the hardware is quality, maybe TOO good. The hardtail bridge/tailpiece can be found on many Strats and similar guitars not set up for a vibrato tailpiece. The problem here is that to string this tailpiece, one needs to thread the string end through a hole on the back, then attempt to worm it under the saddle. These saddles were designed for common vibrato tailpieces, where the string is threaded from the rear of the guitar body through the vibrato’s balancing weight, then directly up to where it easily goes through the bottom of the saddle. As I was changing the strings, I was having difficulty getting the strings through this design, basically having to bend the string end tip slightly and twisting it around until it caught into the bottom of the saddle. I hope that a young person does not get frustrated enough to quit playing because of this.

When the guitar arrived, there was not a lot that needed to be done to get it back into playing condition. I cleaned up the residue on the body and back of the neck, re-installed the output jack on the plate, changed the strings and set up the neck relief/intonation. Plugging it into a small amp, this guitar has a decent clean sound, and the humbucker gives off some good distortion tone when run though some form of overdrive. Overall, the guitar is impressive as a starter.

I don’t intend to keep it, but hope to pass it on to some youngster interested in learning the guitar. I didn’t get a case or gig bag with it, just the guitar. I’ll probably throw in a cord and strap along with some picks to sell it off. This is a great starter electric guitar for small hands.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Music Industry

The Fender Stratocaster Lawsuit

Apologies for the delay with this blog, I drove across the state to see one of my favorite bluegrass guitarists, Rebecca Frazier (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/05/27/the-amazing-rebecca-frazier/), at a festival in Niles, Michigan. It was wonderful to see her, and she was just as happy to see me after so many years of just emailing and messaging each other, And her band loved the chrusciki (Polish cookies known as “angel wings”) that I brought.

If you follow any music business news, you know that the past few weeks have been filled with talk of Fender and its lawsuit against a number of other guitar manufacturers regarding the making of Stratocaster style guitars. It began with Fender presenting cease-and-desist orders to other companies, from larger ones such as PRS and Ibanez, to smaller boutique operations such as LsL.

Many observers are assuming that this lawsuit comes from an earlier success that Fender received in Germany against Yiwu Philharmonic Musical Instrument Co., based out of China. In a court in Dusseldorf, the decision sided with Fender that Yiwu must discontinue selling Strat style guitars in the European Union countries. It didn’t help that Yiwu failed to send attorneys to the court in the first place.

So Fender received a ruling that qualified the Strat as a copyrighted form of art which no other company could sell similar guitars. However, this was a German court. So Fender decided to take action here in the US, a much larger guitar market for electric guitars. The initial letter from the Bird & Bird Law Firm sent to other guitar manufacturers stated “Subject of this letter is your offer of products which infringe the copyright of our client’s Fender Stratocaster guitar. We insist that you immediately stop manufacturing, selling, marketing, or producing such infringing products.” The letter also demands that companies destroy current stock and secure sold guitars to destroy as well.

When guitar podcasters and music journalists got wind of this, the internet blew up. Note that Fender received a patent on the Stratocaster back in 1953, and started mass producing them the next year. For a product that has been around for over 70 years, it seems strange that Fender decided to take action now.

Immediate reaction from the defendants has been mixed. Granted, Fender has the cash to afford the best legal representation. Companies like Ibanez and PRS also have the money, so they seem willing to put up a fight. However, LsL admits that it cannot financially fight Fender. Fans of the company set up a GoFundMe page to help LsL with attorney fees.

Since the first news, any information regarding continues legal work and negotiations seems to be hush-hush. Very little is being leaked out by Fender as well as the defending guitar manufacturers. Moreover, these little bits come out every day, so opinions and new podcasts and vlogs come out just as fast as the news arrives. Most recently, Fender has revised its lawsuits, stating that it was not interested in all two-horned body guitars, and those companies that replicate the Strat will be removed from the lawsuit if they do modifications to their models that show a distinct difference to the Strat.

Nost people following this lawsuit are assuming that Fender is specifically going after PRS. John Mayer, who was a Stratocaster through most of his career, recently endorsed PRS and its Silver Sky model. Other than the differing headstocks, the Stratocaster and the Silver Sky are basically the same guitar, body shape and electronics.

(These are just a few of the many YouTube vlogs dealing with the lawsuit)

Perhaps Fender is miffed that Mayer went to PRS instead of staying with it. Looking at guitar fans postings on the internet, most believe that Fender is the bad guy, some even suggesting a boycott from future Fender product purchases. As stated before, every waking day seems to bring another update to the lawsuit. I plan to follow it as a curiosity rather than a main concern. However, whatever happens in the court will definitely have an effect on the future of not onlyt musical instrument manufacturing, but product manufacturing in general.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Americana Music

Lynn Blakey, I Will Truly Miss You

I had another topic all set for this week’s blog, but something happened yesterday that affected me, so that I will save that one for next week.

Yesterday morning, a song from the 80s came into my mind that I loved. “Every Word Means No” by Let’s Active. A great new-wave pop gem written by band leader Mitch Easter (who also produced R.E.M.’s first two albums). Originally a three-piece band, it added a second guitarist for touring. Her name was Lynn Blakey. She was from the same music scene as the band, which was the Athens, GA/Raleigh, NC area.

I had met Lynn at an Americana Music Association conference back around 2006 (more on that later). During her touring with Let’s Active, the band did a show in San Francisco with The Replacements. Lynn was the muse that inspired Paul Westerberg to write one of the greatest songs of the 80s, “Left of the Dial” (a song that I plan to include in my Perfect Song blogs).

After playing in local bands for a few years, she formed a wonderful folk/Americana project called Tres Chicas with fiddler Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) and Tonya Lamm (Hazeldine). The band released two albums on Yep Roc, and showcased at the AMA in 2006. That is where our paths crossed.

The bar was 12th and Porter in Nashville. It was one of about five or six that were showcasing bands during the AMA conference weekend, so crowds were spread out among them. Tres Chicas was the final band that night, and as showcases go, performances run late, so the band did not go on until after 1:00 am. During the performance, a guitar string broke on Lynn’s guitar (or maybe it was Tonya’s?). Anyway, I ran up and volunteered to change it (I have changing strings fast down to a skill. I was more popular on the Detroit music scene back in the late 80s/early 90s as a roadie than I was as a musician).

After the show, Lynn came up to me and thanked me for the help. We started talking, and our conversation went long and everywhere. It was literally like talking to your soul mate. She stole my heart (as she probably stole Westerberg’s 20 years earlier). As we were closing up the bar, we exchanged email addresses, and she kissed me. I will remember that moment like it was yesterday. We emailed back and forth a few times, then I lost touch with her. I guess this was about the time she met her future husband, German musician Ecki Heins.

Fast forward to yesterday, I decided to Google her to see what she was up to. To my shock, I learned that she passed away on February 6th of metastatic cancer.

My heart dropped to the floor. I read through some of the articles about her life and death, and all said the same thing – that she was a beautiful human being. That I can vouch for. Her wonderful presence on stage continued with her off stage and in her personal life. I learned from reading that she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2022, went into remission, but it recently came back. During her later years, she served as cantor and choir leader at her local Catholic church. She also returned to college to get a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies.

She passed away with Ecki by her side (he is also dealing with a cancer diagnosis and chemotherapy treatments). During the weekend of May 29-30, artists that she has worked with over the years, including members of Tres Chicas and Let’s Active, as well as Alejandro Escovedo and Chris Stamey, will be performing at a tribute concert.

Lynn, always know that the hour spent with you in Nashville was one of the most precious that I have ever experienced, and will remain with me forever. You were truly a gift to not only the music scene, but to mankind as well. You will always own a piece of my heart.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Lutherie Musical Instruments

Shopping Goodwill Online

Every few days, I go to the Goodwill auction website (www.shopgoodwill.com) to see what music equipment I may be lucky to pick up (I rarely go to an actual Goodwill store, as there never seems to be anything that interests me). The site has a separate category for musical instruments, with sub-categories for guitars/basses, stringed instruments, percussion, woodwinds, brass, electronic, and amplifiers/effects. As for the guitar section, most of the items are garbage, but there are a few items that come across that are worth a second look.

Of those few items, some are actually quality instruments. I have seen many Fender, Gibson, Guild and other name brands on the site. However, most of these are being scouted by dealers, and the bids are much higher than I want to compete with. Occasionally, I am able to snag a decent buy. Such might be the case with my recent purchase of a Fender Squier Strat. With a quality Fender gigbag, shipping and handling, the total was about $80.00. NOTE: Be sure to check the shipping cost before you bid on anything. This is a national auction site, so if you are on the east coast, and the item is from a Goodwill store in California, the shipping cost may be more than the item itself! Also note that sales tax is not included until after you purchase, so be sure to mentally calculate that. Finally, note that many items will not be shipped and must be picked up locally.

So when the Strat arrived, there was a bit more work to be done on it than the Goodwill photos showed and were not in the description. I knew that I would have to get a replacement whammy bar and knobs, but I did not see that the output jack was broken and needed replacement. Also, there are some major dings that bits of the wood are chipped off. Finally, the owner took a Sharpie pen to it. Some of the writing is just names of bands, others look like autographs. Not sure who the signers are, but a good cleaning with nail polish remover or Goo Gone should clean up that stuff.

I have already ordered replacement knobs, whammy bar, and output jack for those areas. As for the wood divots, fortunately, those areas are along the side where the sunburst finish is black. I can patch that area and do some sanding/finishing without having to re-finish the entire body. Parts and finishing materials, the cost will probably be about $20.00 total. Time-wise, it will take me a while, as my new job still has me doing some overtime until more people are hired in. I look at this as more of a passion than trying to make money, so if and when I sell this, I will probably break even.

Again, if you decide to hit the Goodwill auction site, bid carefully. You may get a bargain out of it!

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Evelyn Cox RIP

On May 5th, the bluegrass world lost another wonderful traditional voice. Evelyn Cox Hobbs, singer and guitarist for the Cox Family, passed away at the age of 66.

The Cox Family as a band was started by father Willard in the late 1970s. They resided in the Cotton Valley of northwest Louisiana. As kids, Evelyn, along with brother Sidney and sisters Lynn and Suzanne, would learn instruments as well as sing harmonies to gospel music. From performing at local hayrides to appearances on the the Grand Ole Opry. The band won a Grammy in 1994 in the Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Album category for I Know Who Holds Tomorrow, a collaboration with Alison Krauss.

Probably the biggest boost to the band’s career was an appearance in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, as well as in the documentary of the soundtrack to the movie Down From the Mountain. The band performed two classic songs at the Ryman Auditorium for that film, which showcase the beautiful harmonies that they were known for.

Willard retired from the band shortly after the appearance, but the siblings continued on. Evelyn and Suzanne retired a few years back, and Sidney reformed the band with his daughters to create a second generation of the legacy.

I was fortunate to see the band during the Down From the Mountain tours. Willard had already retired, so Evelyn was the spokesperson for the group. She had kept the laid-back humor that her father always showed on stage. However, it was those precious harmonies that melted my heart. Whenever I need shot of joy, I pull up the performance of “Will There Be Any Stars In My Crown” from the Ryman performance on YouTube. Simply beautiful to hear.

Evelyn, thank you for giving the rest of a voice that could only have been given to you by God to put to good use,, which you did. You are now in Heaven, singing in the Angel Band with your father.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Rock Music

The Video That Killed the Rock Star

It’s funny how one incident can kill a successful musical career. It could be drug addiction, long-term hatred with former bandmates or other music industry people, failed marriages, or a sladerous comment that got published. But making a music video?

I was talking with a co-worker at my job, and the discussion turned to music videos. I grew up with my teens being part of the early MTV generation. That was when the network was literally just showing videos. They had the occasional interview with an artists, and the whole thing was hosted by six VJs. This was the early 1980s, and the channel would show any type of video that a signed band put out, whether it was of a live performance or some crazy concept.

As time went on, videos turned into mini-movies, with “Thriller” by Michael Jackson being a great example. Other videos became messages, in many cases not related to the music and lyrics. Of course, like many Top 40 songs, the videos faded into obscurity. However, some have remained in the minds of music fans, for better or worse.

Such is the case of Billy Squier and his video for “Rock Me Tonite.” Squier had a great career in rock music in the early 1980s. Radio hits such as “Stroke Me” and “Lonely is the Night” had some powerful vocals with memorable guitar riffs woven throughout. Then came “Rock Me Tonite.” As far as the recording, it matched his previous hits, with a hard-edged power-pop sound.

Then there was the video. To this day, no one really knows who was responsible for approving this and putting it out. At the time, MTV put it on heavy rotation, and probably scared away a lot of viewers along the way. This video is an absolute nightmare meeting a bad joke and having a baby.

Throughout the video, Squier is dancing by himself in his bedroom like no one is watching. Unfortunately, people were watching, and the ridicule soon followed. So much so that, 40-plus years later, the video still stands out as one of the biggest guffaws ever put to tape. Soon after the initial criticism, Squier’s career in music tanked considerably. These days, he makes occasional appearances, but very few have forgotten this catastrophe.

In watching this video again (I forced myself for this blog), my only theory to the making of it was that teenage boys were watching MTV videos not only for the cool hair-metal bands performing, but for the scantily-clad models that appeared in them. Perhaps someone thought that pubescent young girls would have the same reaction when seeing a young rock star dancing around and tearing off his shirt. In short, it didn’t.

For those of you who have never seen the video, I present it here. My apologies if it negatively affects your future life in any way. You are sure to get a few good laughs at the comments that follow.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

The Pros and Cons of Bluegrass Jams

I was recently asked to assist in getting a bluegrass jam started at a bar here in Detroit. Basically a person that I met at a local jam has an uncle that owns a bar, and this person wants to start a regular bluegrass jam at the bar. I checked out the place, and it has pretty much a faux Irish pub look to it, but the outdoor patio is spacious enough for small concerts.

It got me to thinking about my experience with bluegrass jams over the years. While most bluegrassers may be familiar with the night-long jam sessions after performances at festivals, there is occasionally the established jam session organized somewhere during the times when festivals are not happening, like during the winter up here in the north.

These types of jams are hard to predict as far as success. Most local bluegrass associations (like the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association) attempt to set up or help sponsor jams, usually after a business meeting. SEMBMA used to do that, but it would be disheartening, as the meeting would have five or six people attending, then as the meeting was wrapping up, 20 people would show up with instruments in-hand. Thus, not much got done by the association from its “members,” as they only seemed to join just to have a place to play. SEMBMA has had to cancel many sponsored activities due to lack of membership volunteer help at them. If the only reason to join the association is to plant your butt at a place to play, then why bother?

One association up here in Michigan used to sponsor a monthly jam at a school. About 10 classrooms were open, and the cafeteria had a small stage for sign-up performing. I went a few times, and the folks that ran it were stand-offish to say the least. Each room was taken up by some amateur band that did not want anyone from the outside coming in to jam. The last that I heard, this association has dissolved sometime around COVID.

Jams at places like restaurants and bars are also hard to keep going. One has to remember that the owner of the establishment is hoping to make money at this business. Live music, even with established bands, can be a coin toss as far as profitability. I am sure that every bar owner would love to have a Billy Strings or Del McCoury play at his/her venue once a month to make up for the dead evenings the rest of the time. Open mics and jam sessions are very shaky at bars. The bar owner may try it once or twice, but if he/she is losing money on that night, forget it going past a third time. I have seen way too many times that jammers show up, play for hours, not buying a drink (or worse yet, try to sneak in their own drinks), then up and leave without spending a dollar on food or beer. There is usually no cover charge on these nights, but I have also seen places that charge a few dollars for jam nights, which stalwart jammers thumb their noses to. In the end, bar owners lose money, and jammers are out of another place to play.

One jam night here in suburban Detroit that I have enjoyed hitting is at the Cirrus Guitar shop. Once per month Mike Franks opens up a room for two hours of bluegrass and folk jamming. After which, everyone there gabs about music, instruments, or other topics, while Mike takes any newcomers on a tour of the shop. This is successful because Mike has a deep love for the music, his shop would probably be open anyways, and the people that show up do not take advantage of his gratitude. If I do show up, I usually bring some snacks for afterwards.

Jams take some time for the news to get out. That first one at Cirrus had five people. It has grown some, but there are other factors (only once per month, it is on a weeknight, and not centrally located). However, the main factor I see that would make a regularly scheduled jam session a success would be the cooperation of the jammers themselves. Accept that someone is allowing you to come into his/her facility for a few hours to play with others. See what you can do for that owner. Provide snacks, help clean up afterwards, help set up beforehand, even pass the hat and throw in a buck or two (if no cover charge is being made) to help play the electric bill for that evening. If that is too much to ask, then just stay home and jam with yourself, or have a jam session at your house. See how much time and effort it takes to make a bunch of jammers happy at no cost to them.

Chew on it and comment.

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