Bluegrass Brilliance: Pickin’, Grinnin’, and New Horizons

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One of the standout banjo players at Chattanooga’s 2025 IBMA World of Bluegrass was Gena Britt, a founding member of the powerhouse band Sister Sadie. With a stellar solo reputation spanning over 30 years, this acclaimed picker—nominated again for IBMA Banjo Player of the Year—has teamed up with Mountain Home Music Company for her first solo album in nearly six years. Streets, Rivers, Dreams & Heartaches delivers her signature virtuosic banjo work and soulful vocals, but it also showcases an artist evolving, blending traditional bluegrass with fresh creative edges.

“I am so grateful to Mountain Home for believing in me and allowing me to create this music that I’m so very proud of,” Britt shares enthusiastically. “The musicians and singers I assembled for this project sound so good together! We first played in an all-star configuration at the Station Inn, and it was so much fun that I wanted to continue that in the studio. These guys and gals truly poured their hearts and souls into these songs, and I cannot wait for the world to hear them!”

The album features award-winning fiddler Jason Carter and his former Travelin’ McCourys/Del McCoury Band mate Alan Bartram (acoustic bass, harmony vocals), alongside singer-guitarist John Meador (Vince Gill Band) and rising mandolin star Jonathan Dillon. Additional contributions come from East Nash Grass’s Jeff Partin (resonator guitar), Dillon’s Red Camel Collective bandmate and award-winning singer Heather Berry Mabe, Balsam Range’s Caleb Smith, The Isaacs’ Ben Isaacs, and old-time banjoist Tina Steffey.

This collection paints a vivid portrait of an artist rooted in authentic bluegrass she’s mastered and shaped for decades, yet bold enough to push boundaries. Streets, Rivers, Dreams & Heartaches proves Gena Britt is hitting her musical prime—pre-save it now ahead of its November 7 release. Get it here: https://clg.lnk.to/gb-SRDH

Speaking of IBMA triumphs, my friends in The Kody Norris Show are riding high after winning the 2025 Video of the Year for “The Auctioneer.” Hot on its heels, they’ve released their latest music video for the single “Silver Eagle” from their new album Highfalutin Hillbilly. Bursting with personality and charm, the clip follows Kody and his sweetheart Mary Rachel on the road—until she eyes greener pastures (all in good fun, of course). It even boasts a surprise guest appearance by Grand Ole Opry member and country legend T. Graham Brown. For more bluegrass flair and tour info, head to thekodynorrisshow.com.

Chattanooga’s Bluegrass Bonanza: IBMA’s 2025 Triumph

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Chattanooga, Tennessee, transformed into Bluegrass Central, the ultimate destination for pickers, stars, and fans. The city buzzed with the ring of banjos and a sawing of fiddles as the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) brought its World of Bluegrass to its new home at the Chattanooga Convention Center for a five-day celebration. Unless they were performing elsewhere, musicians of all ages flocked to seminars, jam sessions, shows, and lessons covering every facet of bluegrass.

Billy Strings visits with attendees in the exhibit hall.

Every day, attendees and locals spotted icons like Steve Martin, Billy Strings, Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, and newly inducted Hall of Famers Hot Rize and the Bluegrass Cardinals grabbing a bite at local eateries or strolling between events. The energy was electric—riding up an escalator, I overheard a young fiddler excitedly recount jamming with a legend the night before, a moment that captured the festival’s magic.

The IBMA World of Bluegrass was a resounding success in its 2025 debut at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium hosted the annual Bluegrass Awards, emceed by Steve Martin and Alison Brown, featuring unforgettable performances. Standout winners included Fiddle Player of the Year Maddie Denton with East Nash Grass, and Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, who swept Song of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year for Outrun the Rain, plus Album of the Year. Authentic Unlimited won Vocal Group of the Year, The Traveling McCourys took Instrumental Group of the Year, and Jaelee Roberts earned Gospel Song of the Year for He’s Gone. Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, and Alison Brown claimed Instrumental Recording of the Year for Ralph’s Banjo Special.

Jam sessions were the heart of the event, with the convention center’s hallways alive with music. Every twenty feet, young players—from toddlers clutching tiny fiddles to teens wielding banjos—jammed alongside seasoned pros, their melodies echoing through the halls. After 9:30 p.m., when the convention center closed, diehards like members of the Tennessee Bluegrass Band migrated to the nearby Marriott, jamming into the early hours.

The Tennessee Bluegrass Band

Across the city, venues showcased talents like Wyatt Ellis, Becky Buller, Little Roy and Lizzy Long, and The Kody Norris Show, which won Video of the Year for The Auctioneer. Fans mingled with heroes, snapping photos and shaking hands.

Exhibit halls hosted global band showcases and youth performers debuting skills honed in dedicated workshops. Seminars highlighted bluegrass history, including a tribute to Hazel Dickens and a panel with legends Paul Williams, Doyle Lawson, and Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake. Dom Flemons led a session on African American Hall of Fame inductee Arnold Shultz’s influence on pioneers like Bill Monroe.

Billy Strings, Entertainer of the Year, wondered through the exhibit hall, picking up guitars and whipping out a tune including on Jimmy Martin’s guitar—available for anyone to strum, thanks to Martin’s son—and joining Junior Sisk and New Artist of the Year Red Camel Collective for a tune before his keynote address.

On Friday and Saturday, thousands filled Miller Plaza, where four stages, including one for youth talent, showcased acts like The Infamous Stringdusters, Carter and Cleveland, and Sister Sadie. Local Chattanooga stars, including Mountain Cove Bluegrass, the Landon Fitzpatrick Band, Carl Towns and Upward Road, and Emerald Butler dazzled international audiences with their homegrown flair.

Mike Bub and Randall Franks

I was honored to direct the Special Industry and Distinguished Achievement Awards alongside producer Chris Keenan and an amazing production staff, spotlighting talents like Missy Raines and Ron Thomason. Five-time Bass Player of the Year Mike Bub served as our host for the show. One unforgettable moment was watching a young guitarist, barely taller than his instrument, beam with pride as he played alongside a bluegrass legend, a reminder of the genre’s vibrant future.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the IBMA has made Chattanooga its home for the next three years. If you love bluegrass—or want to discover your new favorite band—mark your calendar for October 20–24, 2026, and October 19–23, 2027. Visit IBMA.org to plan your trip and join the celebration!

Treasures of Forgotten Lives

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The musty scent of old books, vinyl records, and mothballed clothes greets you at an estate sale, where the remnants of someone’s life spill across makeshift tables, counters, and shelves. Clothes, tools, knickknacks, furniture, jewelry, even leftover cleaning products and unused hardware—each item whispers a story. I’ve spent many pleasant afternoons rummaging through these sales, piecing together the lives of strangers through the things they left behind.

In the garage or basement, you often find the “men’s domain”—a workshop brimming with neatly stowed tools, screws, nails, and bolts. I’ve snagged bargains on hardware I might use someday, like a box of screws for a future project or a half-used can of paint. These items, carefully organized, hint at hobbies, repairs, or dreams of building something new. The living room, by contrast, is often the woman’s realm, adorned with porcelain figurines, Christmas villages, crystal, and delicate artwork. The kitchen overflows with dishes, pots, pans, and utensils—testaments to meals shared, holidays celebrated, and daily routines now stilled. I love visiting on the final day, when prices plummet and overlooked treasures, like a quirky teapot or a vintage record, become fire-sale finds.

Yet the saddest discoveries are the photo albums, brimming with smiles from birthdays, weddings, graduations, and vacations. These moments, once cherished enough to frame or tuck into sleeves, now sit abandoned, their owners likely without children or grandchildren to claim them. I’ve flipped through these albums, marveling at the joy captured in faded Polaroids or black-and-white prints—families gathered around Christmas trees, couples dancing at receptions, kids blowing out birthday candles. Once, I found an album with a familiar face, perhaps a distant acquaintance or neighbor from years past. I couldn’t leave it behind; it felt like rescuing a piece of their story. Now it rests in my home, where those faces are known, if only to me.

Sadder still are boxes of framed photos or old slides, relics of a time when families gathered to watch slide shows, sharing stories of vacations or funny mishaps. These visual memories, so carefully preserved, meant everything to someone. When I see them discarded, I can’t help but feel their song will no longer be sung, their names and faces lost to future generations. For years, I found comfort seeing similar photos on the walls of Cracker Barrel restaurants across the country. Strangers’ faces, frozen in time, gazed out at diners, their images preserved even if their names were forgotten. Now, with corporate remodels stripping away these tributes, another layer of sadness settles in, as if the past is being erased once more.

In today’s digital age, our memories face a new threat. Photos and videos, stored on old computers, hard drives, or forgotten cloud accounts, may vanish faster than dusty albums. Unlike physical photos, which can be stumbled upon at a sale, digital files are often inaccessible without the right device or password. I’ve wondered about my own collection—decades of snapshots, concert tickets, and mementos from a life immersed in music. I’ve earmarked some for music-related archives or museums, but even then, they’ll likely sit in a box or filing cabinet, deep in storage, rarely seen.

Estate sales teach us that our treasures are fleeting. The albums and keepsakes we cherish may end up unrecognized by our children or grandchildren, who may not know the faces or stories behind them. Only a handful of memories make it to their piles, the rest discarded or sold to strangers. As I browse these sales, I’m reminded to plan ahead.

A Family’s Sacrifice in the Fight for Independence

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As we ease our way toward the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026, it’s worth pausing to reflect on the profound sacrifices that birthed our nation. On July 4, 1776, 56 delegates gathered in Philadelphia to adopt the Declaration of Independence, a bold assertion of liberty that ignited a revolution.

Like many Americans, my family tree is deeply entwined with that struggle. Twenty of my ancestors stepped forward as Patriots to fight for independence, while a few aligned with the Loyalists, and others may have served among the British regulars. Their stories unfold across the colonies, in famed battles like Brandywine and King’s Mountain, as well as obscure skirmishes known mostly to historians.

Recently, my research uncovered two more Patriot ancestors—a fifth great-grandfather and a fourth great-granduncle—adding fresh layers to this personal history. One such story centers on my fifth great-grandfather, John Samples, of Richmond County, Georgia. In 1777, he joined the Georgia Militia under captains aligned with Colonel Elijah Clarke, a renowned Patriot leader celebrated for his guerrilla tactics. His service culminated in the Battle of Alligator Creek Bridge on June 30, 1778, during the third and final Patriot attempt to invade British East Florida.

Authorized by Georgia’s assembly, the campaign aimed to seize St. Augustine and halt Loyalist raids, but it was doomed by command disputes between Continental General Robert Howe and Governor John Houstoun. By late May 1778, about 1,300 men—Georgia militia and South Carolina Continentals—had advanced into Florida. On June 29, Howe occupied Fort Tonyn near modern Hilliard, Florida.

The next day, a detachment pursued retreating Loyalist Rangers led by Colonel Thomas Brown south to Alligator Creek, a swampy tributary west of present-day Callahan, Florida, near U.S. Route 301. Likely led by Colonel James Screven’s cavalry and supported by Clarke’s militia of 100–300 men from Richmond and Wilkes Counties, the Patriots assaulted a British redoubt at the bridge. The terrain was unforgiving: dense swamps, a wide ditch, and felled trees that bogged down the cavalry.

Opposing them were British regulars, Loyalist militia (including Brown’s East Florida Rangers), and Native American allies, possibly Creek or Seminole warriors, totaling 200–400 men with a numerical edge. The British unleashed a flanking ambush, sowing chaos amid the lack of distinct uniforms.

The Patriots endured heavy losses: about eight or nine killed, nine wounded, and several captured, according to accounts from the American Battlefield Trust. Clarke himself was severely wounded, and Screven was injured. British casualties were lighter, around four or five killed.

The Patriots retreated, and the expedition unraveled by July 14 due to disease, desertions, and supply failures. John Samples was among those captured in the fray.

He was imprisoned at St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos, where brutal conditions—starvation, disease, and abuse—claimed many lives. Tragically, he died there, the only ancestor I know of who gave his life in the war.

Tory raids later destroyed his Richmond County home, forcing his family to flee.

In the wake of his father’s death, my fourth great-granduncle, Jesse Sampley, enlisted in 1779 at age 15 or 16.

Serving under officers like Ensign William Luker and Captain James Ryan, he fought Tories and British forces until 1783, often in South Carolina and Georgia campaigns.

Jesse’s 1833 pension application and claims for war reimbursements provide the richest details about John’s service and the family’s hardships.

As we approach a decade of semiquincentennial commemorations—from the Declaration in 2026 to the Treaty of Paris in 2033—let us remember these unsung heroes. Their valor forged our freedom. Each year, honor their memory: visit a battlefield, read a history book, or share a family story. In doing so, we keep the spirit of 1776 alive.

Check out Randall’s film The American’s Creed.

New music is like opening a present

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Opening new music is like unwrapping a present—you never know what delights await, but in bluegrass, it’s often a blend of tradition and fresh energy. Two recent projects exemplify this: Junior Sisk’s lively It’s All Fun and Games and Shawn Camp’s upcoming tribute The Ghost of Sis Draper. Both honor the genre’s roots while delivering something new for today’s listeners. Out now since July 18, It’s All Fun and Games is the latest from award-winning bluegrass artist Junior Sisk, available on all major digital platforms via Turnberry Records.
It showcases his signature traditional voice with powerful vocals, tight instrumentation, and a mix of humor, heartbreak, and heritage. The 11 tracks feature talents like Heather Berry Mabe, Tony Mabe, Johnathan Dillon, and Curt Love, building on the success of pre-release singles “Sweeter Than Tupelo Honey” and “Where Love Goes to Die.” This album is poised to be one of Sisk’s most acclaimed yet.
“Creating a new recording is always a challenge, and naturally, it starts with the songs,” says Sisk. “I’ve been blessed through the years to have some very talented songwriters to call on. As always, I try to stick to my traditional bluegrass roots while making a song sound new and current for today’s listeners. I’ve recently been interested in finding old country tunes and reviving them in my own voice.
“I’m excited to have been able to co-write several original tunes with songwriting greats such as my dad, David Stewart, and Jerry Salley,” he adds. “I have some extremely talented musicians by my side who always take the songs to the next level with their creative work. The goal is to create a project that makes us happy as artists—and hopefully, the fans enjoy what we’ve created as well. Happy listening, folks.”
Grab a CD at juniorsisk.com.
Meanwhile, another bluegrass torchbearer, GRAMMY-winning producer and songwriter Shawn Camp—of The Earls of Leicester fame—is set to release The Ghost of Sis Draper on September 12 via Truly Handmade Records.
This concept album features 10 songs co-written with the late Guy Clark and one solo Clark composition. “This is as much Guy Clark’s album as it is mine,” Camp says.
The project stems from Camp’s childhood legend: At age seven, he met traveling fiddle player Sis Draper at a pickin’ party in Arkansas’ Perry County hills. Years later, while songwriting with Clark in Nashville, Camp shared the story, sparking “Sis Draper” and subsequent tunes like “Magnolia Wind.”
For years, they’d revisit the “Sis” theme when stuck on other ideas.The Ghost of Sis Draper weaves songs tied by characters, narratives, and old-time fiddle tunes. Arkansas fiddle great Tim Crouch revives Draper’s spirit, backed by Mike Bub on bass, Chris Henry on mandolin, Jimmy Stewart on dobro, Cory Walker on banjo, and Camp on guitar and vocals. Recorded in one day at Nashville’s Clement House (formerly The Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa), it immerses listeners in a sharply drawn world.”
We intentionally wrote songs that fit together,” Camp explains. It’s the definitive close to the Sis Draper saga and a tribute to his friend Clark. “That’s part of my passion for putting it out—to try and keep him alive!” Check it out at shawncamp.com.
Whether it’s Sisk’s fun-loving revival or Camp’s ghostly homage, these albums prove bluegrass remains a gift that keeps giving. Unwrap them soon.

Fading notes of the American songbook

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Music has always been a source of respite, offering an escape from daily life, even if just for 3.5 minutes. It weaves a soundtrack into our lives from the moment we grasp its power to touch us. The rhythm, lyrics, and melodies resonate deep within, from the toddler clapping along as a parent teaches a nursery rhyme to the teenager discovering their own musical identity.

As we grow, we develop our tastes, often shaped by friends or refined through personal exploration. In my youth, television, radio, and the occasional film guided my generation toward the sounds that defined us. Pop, Country, Rock and Roll, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues — each of these carried a gospel thread, echoing from church choir of the gospel songs shared from hymnals. Regional styles like bluegrass, folk, and zydeco added richness, while classical and opera spoke to others. These genres fostered connection, sparking dances, concerts, music festivals, and jam sessions, both casual and formal.

For decades, certain tunes became part of the American songbook—melodies and lyrics nearly everyone could hum or sing. These shared anthems united us. But in a short time, new genres emerged, and the way music was delivered fractured. Internet platforms, with their endless choices, segmented audiences by generation, culture, and region. The once-unified musical fabric began to unravel, and the American songbook stopped growing with songs everyone knew. What caused this shift? We may never know, but the days when half the country shared the same musical moments are fading.

As a musical artist, I strive to create music that bridges these divides, just as my friends do. One such artist, Wyatt Ellis, a young talent like I once was, recently released a vibrant single and video, Country Boy Rock and Roll, alongside Trey Hensley. This nod to Don Reno and Red Smiley’s classic blends tradition with fresh energy—a must-listen for anyone craving music that unites: [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytp7JEjTLUY .].

Grand Ole Opry star Jan Howard (left) and Jeannie Seely with guest star Randall Franks backstage in Nashville while performing in 1995.

We recently lost a legend who embodied the shared songbook era: Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely, who passed at 85. Since 1966, the Grammy winner performed on the Opry stage more than any other artist. When I first performed there, her kindness lifted me, a gesture she repeated through the years. Jeannie inspired generations of singers, and the outpouring of love online and in the media reflects her impact. As legends like her leave us, we lose pieces of the American soundtrack that shaped our world.

Yet, music endures. What song from your childhood still stirs your soul? Let’s honor our musical heritage by discovering new voices and sharing the melodies that connect us, keeping the American songbook alive for generations to come.

Life’s Fragility and the Path Through Grief

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Life can change in an instant—a friend’s sudden passing or a loved one’s terminal diagnosis forces us to confront our fragility. Whether it comes from natural causes, an accident, or intent, death is part of life’s path.

Over time, I have lost parents, relatives, close friends, and acquaintances. Depending on their closeness, the impact on our lives varies.

Recently, I learned my cousin faces a dire cancer diagnosis with no clear medical path forward. In such moments, many of us turn to faith, praying for healing or strength, trusting in God’s plan, whatever the outcome. I have spent time in prayer for him and his family.

As believers, we seek miracles but also recognize healing can come through God’s tools—medicine, healthy habits, or spiritual practices. Caring for our bodies with proper nutrition and exercise strengthens us to face life’s challenges. A longtime actor friend of mine recently received a terminal diagnosis. He approached it by enhancing his already healthy lifestyle, making every effort to overcome it as mentioned above. I recently learned his efforts succeeded; the disease is no longer terminal.

Likewise, feeding our spirits with uplifting words, whether through scripture or inspiring stories, sustains our hope. Yet, even with prayer and effort, we sometimes lose those we love. I’ve been on both sides—praying for others and being prayed for during my own health scares. Each time, God granted me more time, perhaps because my work here isn’t done. But when loved ones leave us, their absence carves a new path we must walk alone.

Grief is personal, unfolding at its own pace. Days or months may pass, but one morning, the pain softens into cherished memories. I still remember the day I emerged from grief after my mother’s death. I found a new lease on life, inspired by her love for me.

We honor those we’ve lost by living fully, carrying their spirit in our hearts. Through faith and resilience, we find a new sunrise—a life that reflects the love they’d want us to share. We hold hope that God walks beside us through life’s darkest valleys. Some writers suggest He carries us through them, and I find great solace in that thought.

Notes: My cousin Shane Bruce mentioned above did pass with his family around him. My acting friend – Jeff Rose – is now sharing about his new lease on life in interviews and online. Find him and be inspired.

America’s Fiddle Legacy – Skillet Lickers’ Chicken House

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As I glanced up from the worn linoleum floor, the air thrummed with the pulse of strings. Three fiddlers, two guitarists, and a banjo player surrounded me in their ladder back chairs, their notes weaving a spell that held me captive. I was a young fiddler then, hanging on every phrase from Gordon Tanner, Paul Jordan, and Dallas Burrell, desperate to steal a lick or two to spark my own playing.

In my North Georgia hills, these men were more than musicians—they were torchbearers of a fiddle tradition that helped birth hillbilly music, a sound that echoed from porch swings to the world’s stages. Gordon Tanner’s legacy loomed largest. As a teenager in 1934, he recorded the million-selling “Down Yonder” with his father, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, a band whose raw, joyful energy defined early country music. Their records, cut in makeshift studios and broadcast through crackling radios, carried Georgia’s red clay soul to listeners far beyond the Appalachians. Gordon’s Gold Record was proof of their reach, a testament to a family that turned fiddles into time machines.

The Skillet Lickers and Paul Puckett add their historic flair with Randall Franks

Last week, I stepped into that history, recording with Gordon’s son, Phil, and grandson, Russ, alongside Paul Puckett in Dacula, Georgia—the Skillet Lickers’ hometown. Our studio was no polished soundstage but the Tanners’ old chicken house, transformed into a shrine of musical heritage. Faded photographs, yellowed posters, and framed 78s lined the walls, each artifact whispering of Tanner legends and others like Fiddlin’ John Carson, Riley Puckett, Clayton McMichen, Lowe Stokes, and Anita Sorrells Mathis. These pioneers dominated Georgia’s music scene in the early 20th century, their bow strokes and guitar runs shaping a sound that flowed through my mentors into my own fingers, like a river carving its path through time.

Though the Skillet Lickers’ commercial peak faded by mid-century, their music never dimmed. It lived on in the hollers and hamlets of the South—at raucous fiddle contests, folk and bluegrass festivals, weathered pickin’ barns, and late-night living room jams where players swapped tunes until dawn.

As a boy, I’d sit cross-legged at these gatherings, my fiddle resting on my knee, watching weathered hands coax magic from strings. Those moments forged my love for the music, passed down not through sheet music but through calloused fingers and shared stories, generation to generation.

Recording in that chicken house felt like stepping into a dream. As Phil, Russ, Paul and I traded notes, our music became a bridge across decades, blending the Skillet Lickers’ fire with a band I fiddled for, Doodle and the Golden River Grass. We were laying tracks for “A Zippedy Doodle Day,” a charity album to fund Appalachian music scholarships, uniting Georgia’s first fiddle band with its last. Each pluck and bow stroke was a brushstroke on a rhythmic canvas, painting a sound we hope will resonate for years, just as the Skillet Lickers’ records still stir my soul. The Tanners’ keepsakes—framed record sleeves, a worn fiddles, a concert poster —surrounded us, grounding our work in their legacy. I thought of my younger self, a boy mesmerized by flying bows and rosin dust swirling in the air, dreaming of touching the magic of my heroes. Now, here I was, not just chasing their sound but adding my own notes to their story. It’s a humbling honor, one that carries a responsibility to keep this music alive for the next generation.

The Skillet Lickers’ spirit reminds us that music is more than sound—it’s a living thread, connecting past to present, heart to heart. Our project aims to ensure that thread endures, supporting young musicians who’ll carry the fiddle’s voice forward. In that chicken house, we weren’t just recording; we were keeping a promise to the music that raised us and the people who inspired us. Learn more about the Skillet Lickers at www.SkilletLickers.org. For a preview of our charity project, visit www.RandallFranks.com/A-Zippedy-Doodle-Day. 

Celebrating Bluegrass Brilliance: 2025 IBMA Awards Preview

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The 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards are fast approaching, and the organization recently unveiled nominees for its awards, Hall of Fame inductees, and Distinguished Achievement Award honorees.

Selected for induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame were two groups that shaped my formative years: Hot Rize, an innovative Colorado band featuring Pete Wernick (aka Dr. Banjo), Tim O’Brien, Charles Sawtelle, and Nick Forster, known for their 1978–1990 run; The Bluegrass Cardinals, formed by banjoist Don Parmley, his son David, and Randy Graham, who toured extensively from 1974 to 1997; and Arnold Shultz, an African American musician born in 1886 whose influence shaped bluegrass’s roots.

Entertainer of the Year nominees include my friends Alison Krauss & Union Station and The Del McCoury Band, alongside Appalachian Road Show, Billy Strings, and East Nash Grass. Vocal Group of the Year contenders are Alison Krauss & Union Station, Authentic Unlimited, Blue Highway, Sister Sadie, and The Del McCoury Band.

For years, I’ve been honored to direct segments of the IBMA Awards, including the Distinguished Achievement Award. This year, I’m thrilled to celebrate Penny Parsons, a 45-year bluegrass advocate; Missy Raines, the first woman to win IBMA Bass Player of the Year (10 times); “Cuzin’ Al” Knoth, a pioneering California radio host; Ron Thomason of Dry Branch Fire Squad; and Sidley Austin LLP, recognized for supporting bluegrass initiatives.

Among the nominees, I’m especially excited for The Auctioneer by The Kody Norris Show (Video of the Year), Blue Collar Gospel by Jerry Salley featuring The Oak Ridge Boys (Gospel Recording), vocalists Russell Moore and Jaelee Roberts, banjo player Gena Britt, fiddler Maddie Denton, and New Artist Wyatt Ellis. Other categories, like Song of the Year and Album of the Year, and all the various musicians of the year showcase bluegrass’s vibrant talent.

Join us for the 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by Get It Played, on September 18, 2025, at Chattanooga’s Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium. The IBMA World of Bluegrass®, September 16–20, includes the Business Conference (Sept. 16–18), Bluegrass Ramble, and Bluegrass Live! (Sept. 19–20). Tickets are on sale at worldofbluegrass.org.

I can’t wait to celebrate bluegrass’s finest in Chattanooga—join me to honor the music America love!

Tilling the Past: Longing for the Land and Loved Ones

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For centuries, dedicated men and women have toiled to cultivate crops that sustain life, their labor enriched by nature’s gifts—fish from clear streams, game from dense forests, and wild greens, fruits, nuts, and berries. Fertile land, the backbone of survival, has always been a prize.

Before America’s founding, monarchs granted such land to loyal allies or passed it through noble families, with workers bound to the soil under new lords. Other systems existed, but control over prime land and water often defined power.

Today, that legacy lingers in the sprawling farms we pass on country roads. Driving through America’s heartland recently, I marveled at miles of farmland once alive with rows of corn, beans, tomatoes, okra, and squash, where cattle grazed and chickens scratched the earth. Now, many fields lie quiet, cut for hay or reduced to small gardens near farmhouses. Economic pressures—rising costs, market demands—have pushed families to grow just enough for themselves, no longer feeding neighbors or distant markets. Corporate farms churn out much of what stocks grocery shelves, their scale dwarfing the efforts of traditional farmers. Yet, resilient family farmers endure, raising cattle or crops with grit, their produce often fresher and more wholesome than heavily processed alternatives.

These farms pull me back to childhood summers, when fields burst with life. I can feel the heft of a tote sack as I tugged corn from the stalk, tassels dancing in the breeze, or sliced okra pods with my pocketknife, their prickly skins filling the bag.

Harvest days meant trudging through tomato rows, filling boxes with sun-warmed fruit. At noon, we’d gather under a sprawling oak, spreading tablecloths on the grass. A sharp knife sliced fresh tomatoes, tucked between white bread with salt, pepper, and JFG mayonnaise—a meal so simple, yet rich with the land’s goodness.

By then, our family’s farming was shifting from market crops to self-sufficiency, but I still recall the sweat-soaked days of working for market, each task lightened by shared laughter.

I don’t miss the backbreaking labor, the relentless sun, or the heat. What I crave is the closeness of toiling alongside loved ones, our bond with each other and the land making every effort worthwhile.

May your home—your own patch of earth—yield enough to sustain your family. If it doesn’t, plant a small garden, visit a farmers’ market, or learn where your food comes from. Rediscover the joy of nurturing the land and the community it feeds.