Barry Poss, co-founder and longtime owner of Sugar Hill Records –- an influential independent label whose roster included numerous notable bluegrass, Americana, old-time and roots music artists –- died on May 13, 2025. He was 79 and had been battling cancer for years.
Cris Jacobs had the top album (One of These Days) and was the most-played artist on folk radio during April 2024, while Tim Grimm had the month’s most-played song (“Broken Truth”) and was the second most-played artist. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view the top albums, songs and artist charts that are posted monthly with permission.]
J.D. Crowe, an influential and visionary bluegrass banjo player, who plied his craft for more than 60 years, died on Dec. 24. The Lexington, Kentucky native and Grammy Award-winning artist was 84.
Fourteen independent talent agencies have joined forces to form a new nonprofit advocacy group that aims to promote the welfare and prosperity of its members and their represented artists, as well as for the indirect benefit of those associated with them. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has prompted the cancelation of countless concerts and music festivals, the nascent National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) “has been working tirelessly to advocate for the survival of the live music community” in the U.S., according to a news release issued on June 11. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
Entertainer of the Year honors went to The Earls of Leicester, while Flatt Lonesome was named Vocal Group of the Year and received awards for Album and Song of the Year during the 27th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards show, Sept. 29, 2016, at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Arts. [To continue reading this article and to see the complete list of award winners, click on the headline.]
DelFest 2016 takes place at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland over Memorial Day Weekend. Joining the Del McCoury Band and Del’s sons’ spin-offs, The Travelin’ McCourys and The McCoury Brothers, May 26-29, at the fairgrounds, nestled along the Potomac River in the Appalachian Mountains, 2.5 hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., will be a host of other artists. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
The Texas Hill Country comes alive with the sounds of Americana, bluegrass and roots music of all varieties, Thursday-Sunday, April 14-17. That’s when the Old Settler’s Music Festival returns to the Salt Lick BBQ Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas, just south of Austin. Now in its 29th year, the festival takes place during what’s usually the height of bluebonnet and wildflower season. [To continue reading this article, click on the headline.]
The Earls of Leicester were the big winners during the International Bluegrass Music Awards show, Oct. 1, at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Arts. The group –- which pays homage to the musical legacy of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys -- took home Entertainer, Album (for its Grammy Award-winning self-entitled debut), Instrumental Group and Gospel Recorded Performance (“Who Will Sing For Me”) of the Year awards. [To continue reading this article and see the list of award winners, click on the headline.]
For a second consecutive month, Tomorrow’s Child, the new album by Jonathan Edwards – the singer-songwriter best-known for the 1971 hit single “Sunshine (Go Away Today)” – was the most-played album on folk radio during July 2015. The album also sports five of the month’s top songs, although the most-played songs were Dubl Handi’s “Cindy” and Katie Dahl’s “Crowns.” So say charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. [The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Tomorrow’s Child, the new album by Jonathan Edwards -- the singer-songwriter best-known for the 1971 hit single “Sunshine” -- was the top album on folk radio in June, while Edwards’ “Down In The Woods” was the most-played song during the month. So say charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. [The monthly top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Nominees in 83 categories have been named for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Of particular interest to readers of AcousticMusicScene.com are the nominees in the American Roots Music Field. [To continue reading this article and see the list of nominees in the American Roots Music Field, click on the headline.]
Entertainer of The Year, the top honor in the 25th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards – presented Oct. 2 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Arts – went to the Tar Heel State’s own Balsam Range. The acoustic quintet also was named Vocal Group of the Year, while member Buddy Melton was voted Male Vocalist of the Year. [To read the full article and see a listing of 2014 International Bluegrass Music Award winners, click on the headline.]
