BGS 5+5: Irene Kelley

Artist: Irene Kelley
Hometown: Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Latest Album: Snow White Memories
Personal Nicknames: Renie

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I’d have to say the artist who influenced and inspired me the most has been and continues to be Dolly Parton. It all started in 1980, when I was the lead singer in a rock ‘n’ roll band, and I heard Dolly singing on TV from another room. I basically stopped in my tracks and ran to the TV to see who that voice was coming from. I started watching Dolly’s show regularly and got really interested in her original songs. She was responsible for converting me into a country music fan, and then later, a songwriter. The first song that I learned to play guitar on (just to be able to sing to it) was “To Daddy.” The simplicity of the chords, the beautiful melody, and the storyline compelled me to want to perform the song at my shows in the early ’80s.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

Gosh, that comes and goes so often that I can’t really narrow it down to just one song. Sometimes songwriting is a breeze, and a song will just make itself known in 30 minutes. Other times, it’s like milking a cow. It doesn’t give milk, you’ve got to go in there and pull it out. When I started to record my own records in 2000, I found myself recording songs I’d written, and then second-guessing the lyrics, sometimes going back and rewriting them several times before mixing. That can be a good thing though because it really makes me focus on the songs and truly want to make them the best that I can make them. Especially since I am the one who will be singing them night after night.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

That would probably be the first time I played the Grand Ole Opry in April 2001. My mom and sister came to town from my hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and both of my daughters, Justyna and Sara Jean were there — it was truly a special night. They all sat on the stage as I performed. My mom watched me go from singing rock as a teenager in her basement, to country and bluegrass (her favorite music genres) on that hallowed stage that night.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I love to hike in the parks around Nashville and the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Those are my favorites. I keep flower and vegetable gardens at home, and getting my hands in the dirt is always good therapy, too. These are the times I can truly talk to God, and lo and behold, sometimes He’ll send me a song idea.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I had some classical training as a teenager and I still use some of those techniques if time and environment allow. Just to remind myself on proper breathing for singing, I learned to touch my toes and breathe in deeply. The air goes where it’s supposed to and that’s a good reminder, especially if I’ve got some jitters before a show and can’t get centered. Also, standing facing a wall and singing the song “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” that I learned from an early Emmylou Harris record is a great way for me to warm up my voice before a show and a recording session. That song in the key of D has all of the notes I need to stretch my voice, hold a vibrato, and get on pitch. I have been doing that for over forty years I’d say, but I don’t ever sing that song in my shows. Go figure!


Photo Credit: Anne Goetze

BGS 5+5: Emily Nenni

Artist: Emily Nenni
Hometown: Orinda, California; born & half-raised in San Jose; has called Nashville home for 10 years
Latest Album: On the Ranch (November 4, 2022)
Nicknames: Emmylou, Louie, Lou

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

It was a Honky Tonk Tuesday when I was about 23 years old and my 82-year-old Grammy was visiting for her birthday. Midway through my set, I got everyone at American Legion Post 82 to sing her happy birthday and she felt so special. She talked about it for years!

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I like to have a Miller Lite or two and sing three-part harmony bluegrass tunes with my guitarist (Jack Quiggins) and bass player (Ryan Jennings.) It warms up the pipes and keeps it light.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

Drummer John Radford always said to me when I was 21 and hangin’ in certain circles of musicians, “don’t trust boys” — and he’s been right a time or two!

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’d like to make sauce and meatballs for Jerry Reed, RIP.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Never. All songs aside from “Canyon” on my first record are autobiographical and I sing ‘em as such!

Billy Strings, Béla Fleck, Dolly Parton Win IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Three of the most innovative artists in roots music — Billy Strings, Béla Fleck, and Dolly Parton — were revealed as IBMA Bluegrass Music Award winners on Thursday night (September 29) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Billy Strings received the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award for the second year in a row, along with Song of the Year honors, at the 33rd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Presented by Yamaha. In addition, Béla Fleck claimed awards for Album of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, Instrumental Recording of the Year, and Banjo Player of the Year. Dolly Parton’s recent recording of the gospel classic “In the Sweet By and By,” featured on the 2021 Country Faith Bluegrass album, won Gospel Recording of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year honors.

Other familiar musicians to win awards include Sierra Hull, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Cody Kilby, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Del McCoury, Justin Moses and Molly Tuttle. Rick Faris was named New Artist of the Year. Jason Moore, a member of Sideline who died of a heart attack last November at age 47, was named Bass Player of the Year. Previously announced inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame are beloved instrumentalist and vocalist Norman Blake, broadcast pioneer and recording artist Paul “Moon” Mullins, and eclectic, influential singer-songwriter Peter Rowan. Hosted by Ronnie Bowman and Dan Tyminski, the show was held at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

The recipients of the 2022 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Billy Strings
(Editor’s Note: Read our BGS Artist of the Month interview with Billy Strings.)

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Red Daisy,” Billy Strings
Written by Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: My Bluegrass Heart, Béla Fleck
(Editor’s Note: Read our BGS Artist of the Month interview with Béla Fleck.)

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Vertigo,” Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
(Editor’s Note: Read our BGS interview with Doyle Lawson.)

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Rick Faris
(Editor’s Note: Watch the BGS video premiere of “Deep River.”)

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “In the Sweet By and By,” Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “In the Sweet By and By,” Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Molly Tuttle
(Editor’s Note: Read our BGS interview with Molly Tuttle.)

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Del McCoury
(Editor’s Note: Read our BGS interview with Del McCoury.)

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Béla Fleck

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jason Moore

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Moses

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Cody Kilby

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sierra Hull


Photo Credit: Joshua Wilkins Black

Comforted by Dolly and Lucinda, Angel Olsen Offers a ‘Big Time’ Departure

Angel Olsen wants you to stop what you’re doing and go listen to Dolly Parton’s 1968 album Just Because I’m a Woman. Recorded while she was still singing with Porter Wagoner, it’s not one of her most famous albums, definitely not as celebrated as her records in the early ‘70s and ‘80s, but it’s Olsen’s favorite. She loves “The Bridge,” a song about pregnancy and suicide: “Nobody’s talking about that song, but they should.” And she’s tickled by a tune called “I’ll Oil Wells Love You,” which sounds like parody of Parton’s 1974 smash “I Will Always Love You” despite the fact that it hadn’t even been written in 1968.

“It’s all so scandalous,” Olsen says of “Oil Wells,” but the whole record is “so powerful. Dolly’s just being sassy and very real about her career. I love the way her voice sounds, but the production is one of my favorite parts of the album. It just sounds so good.”

Dolly in particular and country music in general helped Olsen weather the pandemic and a broken heart. While cooped up inside her home in Asheville, North Carolina, she gravitated toward Townes Van Zandt, Lucinda Williams and others. Their music was a distraction from all the worry and stress of Covid, but it was also a balm for the hurt and confusion that followed the abrupt end of her first queer relationship. Country soothed her, and eventually it found its way back into her own music.

Olsen specialized in a dark, austere strain of country folk earlier in her career, both as a member of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s touring band (that’s her singing on 2011’s Wolfroy Goes to Town) and as a solo artist. Partly as a means of avoiding the pigeonhole of Americana, however, Olsen gravitated more toward rock guitars and icy synths on later albums, including her 2016 breakthrough My Woman. Those instruments brought out new aspects of her songwriting, which favored big choruses and lyrics evoking messy emotions. Last year she even released an EP called Aisles, featuring her covers of ‘80s synthpop hits like Alphaville’s “Forever Young” and Men Without Hats’ “Safety Dance.”

Obsessing over Dolly — and Lucinda and Roger Miller and others — during the pandemic made Olsen more comfortable embracing the sounds and songwriting strategies of country music, which inform her seventh album, Big Time. Most of the music was recorded live in the studio with producer Jonathan Wilson and a small crew of backing musicians; strings and horn overdubs were added later. Songs like “All the Good Times” and “Dream Thing” straddle the line between Dusty Springfield and Owen Bradley, which makes a fine palette for Olsen’s powerful vocals. She doesn’t have much of a twang in her voice, but her singing expresses feelings acutely — a quality that does recall Dolly herself.

Retaining the drama of her previous albums, Big Time nudges Olsen into new musical territory — which is fitting for an album about facing and even embracing big changes in life, about closing old chapters to open new ones. Pandemic aside, the last few years have been tumultuous, to say the least. Just weeks after Olsen came out as queer to her adoptive parents, her father died. Her mother followed two months later. She was still reeling with grief when she flew out to Los Angeles to record Big Time. But she was also starting a new relationship with the writer Beau Thibodeaux (who co-wrote the title track).

Big Time reflects these changes, examining the different ideas of love and devotion. “I’m loving you big time,” she sings on the title track. Olsen might be singing to Beau, or to her parents, or even to herself. But when she sings the chorus of “Ghost On” — “I don’t know if you can take such a good thing coming to you” — she might as well be singing to herself. What makes these songs country, even more than their arrangements, is their deft, real-life balance of grief and joy, mourning and celebrating. Olsen lets all of these conflicting emotions bleed into one another, because there’s never a clear line between happy and sad.

BGS: I wanted to start by asking about the sound of this album. I wondered if these songs suggested this kind of treatment, or if you were writing songs that suggested this kind of Dusty Springfield treatment.

Olsen: I wrote “All the Good Times” years ago and thought about giving it to someone [to record], because I wasn’t making that kind of music at the time. But then during the pandemic, I listened to a lot of outlaw country, a lot of Dolly and J.J. Cale. Roger Miller’s Tender Look at Love. That record is so good. I don’t know if you’ve heard it, but it’s amazing! But I was also listening to a lot of other stuff, like George Harrison. I started to think, you know, the best-sounding things are really simple. I want to write something that really simple. It wasn’t like I thought, “Now I’ll write some country music.”

But I’d just had my heart broken. I had a pretty bad breakup where the person just disappeared. It’s all water under the bridge now, but at the time I thought, “What happened?” I really had to sit with it. I was listening to some Lucinda Williams stuff, so I thought, I’m just going to get into my psyche, into my writing zone a little bit. I never sit down and say, “I’m going to do this kind of record now.” Although I guess I did that with Aisles, which was an EP of ‘80s covers. But covers are different. I never sit down with material that’s mine and think, “This is how this material will go.”

What’s your history with country music? Was it something you grew up listening to, or did you discover it later?

I listened to a lot of stuff like Garth Brooks growing up, thanks to my parents, but I never really got into contemporary country until fairly recently. As I was getting older, I found myself really loving Dolly Parton and Skeeter Davis. She was huge for me. I just loved how she had this voice like a dirty kid, like she’s out on the playground making trouble. It’s not exactly heartwarming or a typically beautiful sounding voice, but her singing is just such a mood. And then I got really into Dolly Parton, of course. During the pandemic I got really into Lucinda Williams and started to really appreciate contemporary Americana. It’s been a long, winding journey for me, but now I’m here.

How did working with producer Jonathan Wilson direct these songs?

Working with him, he just intuitively knew what I was going for. He’s obsessed with the same kind of records and the same kind of sounds. We discussed it openly, and I didn’t have to work extra hard to explain what I needed. He just knew. He didn’t need to try to reinvent my sound, but just wanted to make something that sounded like me. That made a huge impact. We were just able to cut through the bullshit and get straight to the point.

It sounds like you recorded this album during a period of deep grief, where you went in without having rehearsed the songs with your band. This almost feels like a very open-ended approach. Did you ever think something might not come of those sessions?

I like to have a vision of what I want to start with. Otherwise, it wastes money and time. Maybe one day I’ll be able to just go and mess around. But I’m not the kind of person who likes to write in front of people, so I don’t like to write when I’m in the studio. Sometimes songs do happen in that situation just by chance, just by being there. I like to write as much as possible and then book dates, so that I can just be in a cave with the other people there. I’ve learned over time to be more open to what other people hear within my vision, so that it can be more collaborative and not just me telling people what to do.

So we just went in there [Fivestar Studios in Topanga Canyon] and played the songs a few times. We recorded them on tape and listened back to find the structures we liked as a four or five-piece band. Then, if we didn’t like the drums, we could redo that part of it. Or I could redo my vocal. That happened a lot, because I was playing guitar and singing. That changes the way I sing. I can do it live and it’s totally chill. I can get into a flow. But I really wanted to make sure I got the strongest vocals possible. I wanted to make sure my palate was open and I was present with the words I was singing.

How was it recording out in Topanga Canyon?

Topanga is so beautiful! It was so nice to come to L.A. and immediately leave the city for the mountains. That’s more my vibe. But I actually had this thought while we were recording: We better be backing up all these files in case there’s a huge fire! It was just like hanging out with cool people and then we’d make music. That’s what it should be. Maybe not everybody agrees, but I think it’s so important to have a good rapport with everyone to make something that feels good, that you feel good about. It’s important to be open and honest with people without hurting their feelings or creating a really weird atmosphere. That’s a huge part of making music that nobody really talks about. After we left the studio, I just wanted to keep playing with those people. “Can we just hang out together later? Can we all sit on the floor and listen to records?”

You need to trust these people that are playing your songs.

Exactly. Sometimes, when certain songs took a little longer to get, then we tried to experiment with them more. Usually we found something even bigger. That’s so exciting, and I think it makes the songs more exciting. We’d decide, “Oh this chorus on ‘Go Home’ needs something to make it sound eerie. What if we just stacked my voice underneath the main vocals, but just, like, wailing sounds?” I didn’t want it to be coherent. And Jonathan was like, “Oh shit, we should try it through this tape echo and do it at different speeds for each one.” So we sat down on the floor, like little kids with toys, and I’m just sitting there wailing like an idiot. But I love the way it turned out. It sounds like the soundtrack to a desert island gone wrong. We were like, “Whoa, this is trippy.” And there were these wild banshee noises behind my vocals, and I’ve never done that.

That part of the song reminds me of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Only Living Boy in New York.”

It reminds me of George Harrison. Not that this is anything like what he has ever done, but he does stuff like that a lot. The Beatles did, too, where they would do harmonized vocals where a guitar solo or instrumental lead might be. People don’t really do that anymore. I need to do that more. Instead of thinking, “Oh this is where the guitar goes,” maybe I could just sing that little melody. That’s why it’s so much fun to be in the studio, because it reminds you to use different parts of your brain.

It’s such a simple idea, but very effective.

Yes. It’s simple. I think so much of the music I like is simple. That’s what makes it great — it wasn’t overthought. It was just a confident, weird-ass move that somebody decided to take. It was just a simple little thing that changed the song forever. I love stuff like that. The easiest song on the album was “Chasing the Sun.” “This Is How It Works” was probably my favorite to listen back to, because I love the Crumar and the organ sound together. That detuning sound just sounds so trippy, like you’re standing in place melting.

Did those experiments change how you related to the lyrics you’d written?

It made me feel them in a different way — in a cool way, I think. It brought them out to me.

Earlier you mentioned the mountains being more your vibe. Is that what took you from Chicago to Asheville?

Chicago was great in the early aughts. I loved being there from 2007 on. It was such a special music scene. I don’t know what it’s like now, but Asheville has a growing music scene. There’s a lot of stuff coming out of there now. And a lot of kids are staying there instead of moving away, which I think is really changing the music scene. People who graduate don’t leave. They stay and they play in bands. And now people from Durham and Greensboro and places like that are moving to Asheville. It’s fun. It’s like what people say Austin was like in the ‘70s, before it got eaten up by big industry. There are still some pockets of weirdness left.

When I’m home I like to drive out to Hot Springs and Marshall and Sand Mountain, put on a good album, and then go for a hike. It’s chill. I think a lot of people spend their time that way. You might see some hiker wearing their new Patagonia out there, or you might see a punk kid. Everybody’s going out in nature in Asheville. That’s what I love about it. You can do so many things — you can go trout fishing, you can go kayaking, you can go up to a bald mountaintop and see 360° views of the mountains. It’s just a walk up a hill.

And the state has such a rich musical history.

Yes! There’s a lot of people in their 40s who’ve been playing for 15 years and are playing incredible blues guitar or making incredible Appalachian folk music. I just met a new friend the other day, and we were talking about this one specific ridge. This person is my age or younger, and they told me there is this whole book about the history of this one ridge. That’s my shit! That’s what I wanna know about. I wanna fucking read that book! When I moved to Asheville 10 years ago, I fell in love with it for that reason. There were all these little nooks and crannies, but there was also so much history. And back in the day people in Western North Carolina were very liberal — going back to Civil War times. It’s an interesting place that way. Its history is so fascinating, the moonshine culture and all that.

I guess it’s too early to say, but have these songs changed at all since you wrote them? Have they revealed new meaning for you over time?

Not yet. I think they might, as time goes on. But right now they’re still fresh to me. I sat with them a long time before the record was released, so now I’m just ready to freakin’ play them! The vinyl backup means everyone has to wait for their record to be ready. So you finish everything and then you have to wait for a year. And I don’t want to write too much new material because I don’t want this material to feel like old news yet. I’ve been journaling and writing other stuff, which is nice — good practice — but now I’m excited to play these songs for a while.

Obviously they can’t sound exactly the same as they do on the record. There have been adjustments and things we’ve had to figure out with the live band. I don’t have an entire string section, for example, and I don’t want to do everything for a backing track. So we’ve had to stretch our brains and be more creative during that process. The songs are definitely changing form in that way, but they’re still pretty straight up, still pretty simple.

I think the hardest part is finding people to play these songs and who won’t be upset if I say, “Hey can you play less?” Sometimes it feels so ridiculous to tell a really talented musician to just play in open G. But I’ll pay you the big bucks just to play that one chord! But when you take a bunch of simple parts together, it can make something really special and big. You have to remind yourself and other people that that’s how it can work. A simple part can have a huge impact.

It’s been weird to have this role where I’m telling people what to do and what to play. I never wanted to be a leader! I just wanted to write music. And I don’t even know all the answers. At rehearsal I’ve got seven people asking me different questions, and part of me just wants to say, I don’t know! But I have to know. I have to think about what I want on that moment, which is so much emotional work because you want to say it the right way. The stuff that isn’t music is the hardest part of it all, you know? The easy part is just getting up there and playing music.


Photo Credit: Angela Ricciardi

BGS 5+5: Jaelee Roberts

Artist: Jaelee Roberts
Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Latest Album: Something You Didn’t Count On (May 20, 2022)
Personal nicknames: Jae, Jae Jae, J.D., Jables, Junior, J-Bird

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Well, first off, it is truly not possible for me to list just one artist … I simply cannot do it. I am going to give a “short” list of women that are really important to me: Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Lee Ann Womack, Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Kelsi Robertson Harrigill, and Charli Robertson Shuler. All of these crazy talented ladies have helped to shape me into the artist that I am because their music spoke to me; the songs they record/recorded helped me start my own repertoire of songs to sing; and their vocal styles — while all very different — influenced me and are part of me becoming me.

I am seriously having anxiety because I don’t want to leave out mentioning someone. Gosh! This is so hard! I do have to mention my dad’s band, The Grascals, because I was 4 years old when they started together so everything they’ve done has influenced me and they gave me my first opportunities to be on stage. Also, I just can’t talk about influences without mentioning Keith Whitley. Okay … I’ll stop. I’m so sorry that I can’t follow directions for this question!

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Jaelee Roberts: Singer/songwriter with a passion for acoustic music and words that mean something.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

Again, it is super hard to narrow my answer down to just one favorite memory because it’s special every time I’m on stage and there’s always a moment that really touches my heart. However, for this, I’m definitely going with my favorite memory being the first time I played the Grand Ole Opry with Sister Sadie on December 5, 2020. To say that I was overwhelmed with emotion that night would be a huge understatement! This particular Opry show was in honor of the 75th Anniversary of Bluegrass Music, was televised live on Circle TV, and it was my live audition with Sister Sadie … AND my first time on the Opry as an artist. It makes me nervous all over again just thinking about it! We did a soundcheck prior to the show and l looked down and saw my feet in that amazing circle and I just about lost it. I did keep it together until I got to the dressing room and then I had a pretty good cry. I literally grew up backstage at the Opry and it had been my dream to be on that stage performing as long as I can remember. All I can say is dreams do come true and I am so grateful and thankful!

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

This answer is actually really easy for me because I can honestly say that there wasn’t a first moment but just something that I’ve known in my heart. My parents are both musicians and their friends are musicians and all I’ve ever known is music. However, my parents did not push me into becoming a musician/singer — it was extremely important to them for that decision to be mine. I’ve been told that I started singing just about the time I started talking and that I was able to sing harmony when I was like 2 or 3 years old. I started taking fiddle lessons when I was 4 years old and I started singing in church about that same time so that’s all I’ve ever known … and all I’ve ever wanted.

What has been the best advice you’ve received in your career so far?

I have been blessed to receive so much encouragement and support and all of the advice has been so helpful that, once again, it’s difficult to narrow it down to just one thing! Here are a few things that have really stuck with me:

1. Stay in college … do not quit!! Doyle Lawson had a conversation with me about this and that really meant a lot. I’m just about to finish my junior year of college, and when I graduate I’m sending a thank you note to Mr. Doyle!

2. Always keep God in front of everything I do. Make sure that I pray about every decision I make and to do everything for God’s glory.

3. Stay out of other people’s business and just take care of my own.

4. Never talk about anyone because gossip will always come back to bite you.

5. There will always be somebody looking to find something negative so make sure not to give them anything to use.

6. Don’t oversing … restraint is as impressive (or more so) as lots of vocal runs.

7. Don’t eat or drink any dairy products before singing.

8. Write and perform songs that I connect with.

9. Always, always treat people the way I want to be treated.

10. Many quotes from Dolly Parton, though obviously not given directly to me, are extremely good advice and things I take to heart. One of those is “I’m not into politics. I’m an entertainer.” Goodness, I love Dolly!


Photo Credit: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: Dolly Parton, “In the Sweet By and By” (W/Cordle, Jackson, Salley & Walker)

Artist: Dolly Parton
Hometown: Sevierville, Tennessee
Song: “In the Sweet By and By” (with Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley, Carl Jackson, & Bradley Walker)
Album: Country Faith Bluegrass
Release Date: September 17, 2021
Label: Billy Blue Records

In Their Words: “I am so honored to be a part of such a beautiful album with all of these wonderful artists. Bluegrass has always been one of my very favorite styles of music. I sing it often. I also love the gospel part of bluegrass music and ‘In the Sweet By and By’ was always one of my favorite songs. My parents loved that song so that was the one I wanted to be a part of this album. So I hope everybody, as my mother would say, gets your blessing out of it.” — Dolly Parton

The Show on the Road – Asleep at the Wheel (Ray Benson)

This week on The Show On The Road, we bring you a talk with the half-century-spanning, Grammy-winning ringleader of one of American roots music’s most durable and iconic bands, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel. The episode is a celebration of their fifty years of diligent song collecting, Western swing camaraderie, and epic genre-spanning collaboration — and features first listens of their new record, Half a Hundred Years, which drops on October 1. The record covers old classics and tells new stories, with spritely cameos from fellow Texans Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson.

LISTEN: APPLE PODCASTSSPOTIFYSTITCHER

Aligning behind Benson’s commanding, deep voice and impeccable song-historian’s taste, Asleep at the Wheel has managed what few bands in country music — or any genre — have: Keeping a talented, rotating band of mostly-acoustic players together from 1972 on, with little break from the road. Willie Nelson and others have long championed their work, and indeed the band has had fans in even higher places: on September 11, 2001, the group was set to perform at The White House.

Asleep at the Wheel’s story is really one of perseverance and transformation. How did a Jewish kid from the the Philly suburbs end up as a Texas cowboy music icon who toured with Bob Dylan and George Strait (just ask Bob about changing identities), wrote songs and acted in movies with Dolly Parton and Blondie, and became the foremost interpreter of the rollicking music of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys? Only in America, you could say, but Benson would just tell you that he loves the music deep in his bones, and it’s what he wakes up every day to create and save.

One of the most forward-thinking things Benson did from the very beginning was share the mic with a myriad of talented female vocalists, which maybe confused some radio programmers (“Who is leader of this outfit?”), but made their road shows eternally entertaining and unique. That tradition continues. Also featured on the new record are lovely collabs with Lee Ann Womack and Emmylou Harris.


Photo credit: Mike Shore

MIXTAPE: Staci Griesbach’s Great American Songbook of Country Music

The Great American Songbook of country music is a vast terrain to cherish and celebrate. So vast, in fact, that to narrow it down into one playlist of favorite “picks” is an incredible challenge! That said, I’m sharing here a selection of songs that are some of my all-time favorite lyrics and melodies. (The kind of songs you’d take with you to a desert island.) When you look through this list, it is no doubt that you’ll agree: each one of these songs rightly deserves its space in the pages of 20th century American music history for the mark the songwriters and the musical icons performing them have made. The generations these songs have touched (and hopefully will continue to touch)… the audiences moved by performances, in some cases to tears… all from the impact of a single song. Amazing!

As I hope to do with my Songbook series of recordings, my artistic path honors these songwriters and musical icons in reimagining these songs in a new way, offering an inspired interpretation of some of these classic songs (as you’ll see below). I hope you enjoy a slice of what I like to call “My American Songbook.” — Staci Griesbach

Dolly Parton – “Coat of Many Colors”

Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021, and in my mind, there may be no more perfect storytelling song with a purpose in all of country music. Through the lyrics, Dolly approaches some important underlying themes in her message with this song. From humble beginnings to the love of a mother to encouraging self-talk and faith to the discussion of bullying, this song is so inspiring no matter where you live or what your upbringing was like. Coupled with her incredible human compassion and all she does with her celebrity to make the world a better place, Parton continues to be awesomely inspiring. For my interpretation, we played up the whimsical nature with the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat reference to also celebrate Dolly’s immense talent in the Broadway space. Fun fact: I was once “Narrator” in the musical production, so there’s a special sort of kismet connection!

Willie Nelson – “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”

When a song is recorded by Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Willie Nelson, and probably hundreds of other artists, you may wish your name was songwriter and country music legend Fred Rose. Willie Nelson’s voice and this song pair so well for me. It’s his renditions — especially the live acoustic ones where he brings the tempo down — that are my favorite.

Patsy Cline – “Crazy”

If you’re going to do a playlist about country music standards, then this one has got to be on the list and perhaps top the list. As the most-played jukebox hit in history, the combination of Willie Nelson’s pen and Patsy Cline’s voice makes for a combination that never gets old.

Merle Haggard – “That’s the Way Love Goes”

Merle Haggard could sing the phone book to me, and I’d fall in love. This classic Haggard tune shows off some of his trademark moves, hitting the low notes with a sense of natural charm that could arguably make any gal swoon. His influence from Lefty Frizzell, who penned the song and had a strong arm in shaping many of country music’s early male voices in terms of style, is clear.

Anne Murray – “Could I Have This Dance”

I’m a sucker for a country waltz and the romantic in me gets caught up in this lyric every time I hear it. While the vocal is more modest in range and dynamic, it’s the sweetness of the tune that makes it feel like you’ve just put on your favorite winter sweater and nestled up to the fireplace.

George Jones – “He Stopped Loving Her Today”

Classified by many as the greatest country song of all time, it’s an exemplary tale of great songwriting paired with incredible talent. The song, the lyrics, and the vocal performance George Jones gives in this tear-stained ballad can’t possibly leave a dry eye in the room, no matter how many times you’ve heard the recording! This was the first song we tackled for my album celebrating Possum’s 90th birthday, and I was thrilled when songwriter Bobby Braddock shared his praise. In my cover version, arranger Jeremy Siskind arguably created a stage for this song to really sit in a spotlight it has never been in before.

Ernest Tubb – “Waltz Across Texas”

Listening to this song play as a young girl, I used to dream of being swept off my feet in love someday, filled with the imagery of waltzing across a big ballroom with someone serenading me. When Ernest Tubb calls out his band members, it feels like you’re right in the room listening as they’re playing. I’ve always enjoyed his iconic characteristics in his sense of showmanship.

Patsy Cline – “Walkin’ After Midnight”

Several songs in Patsy Cline’s catalog can be called standards in country music and this is one of them. A favorite for many girl singers who adore her, Patsy’s swagger comes through in her bluesy vocal performance adding just the right touch of cry to connect us with her desire for finding love. For my cover version, also from arranger and pianist Jeremy Siskind, the song offers more of a meditative groove creating a moodiness that implores a sense of searching matching the lyrics with a more internal reflection.

Ray Price -–”Make the World Go Away”

The great Hank Cochran had a way with songwriting and that’s no secret. One of my favorite songwriters in Nashville history. His songs create a lasting impression, especially this one recorded by Eddy Arnold, Elvis Presley, Martina McBride, and the late great Ray Price.

Tammy Wynette – “‘Til I Can Make it On My Own”

When you put Tammy Wynette, George Richie, and Billy Sherrill in a room, you know a hit song will find its way out of the door. Wynette’s performance is simply stunning here, and this song really showcases her dynamic range as a vocalist. I also really enjoy Martina McBride’s cover on her standards tribute album.

Merle Haggard – “Today I Started Loving You Again”

The poetic nature of Merle Haggard’s catalog cannot be questioned, and while he’s known as the poet of the common man, it’s his love songs that have me right in the palm of his hand. Penned along with Bonnie Owens, this song might top the Haggard catalog for me.

Dolly Parton – “Here You Come Again”

Only recently I became aware that this song was written by the great Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. I’ve always associated the song with Dolly, and with her incredible songwriting prowess, it was a natural assumption. This is definitely one of my favorite songs in Dolly’s catalog. For my cover, which is the flip side of my Digital 45 with “Coat of Many Colors,” Jeremy Siskind and I explored a ballad context to really bring out the emotional quality of the lyrics and the feelings that bubble up when you’re so in love with someone and forget for a moment that they’re not good for you.

Hank Williams – “Cold, Cold Heart

There’s a lure around Hank Williams like no other in country music. And it’s no surprise when you listen to Williams’ catalog why George Jones and so many others looked up to and tried to emulate Williams at the beginning of their careers. A true country music standard for its number of covers (including Tony Bennett), I’m a huge fan of Norah Jones’ performance.

Patsy Cline – “Lonely Street”

From Kitty Wells, Melba Montgomery, and Emmylou Harris to Ray Price, George Jones, and Tammy Wynette, this song has been recorded many times over. While Andy Williams’ version might have hit the highest notes on Billboard’s charts, it’s Patsy Cline’s heartache-filled performance that is my favorite version. There were a few of her classic hits that didn’t make my tribute album and this one might top that list.

Kris Kristofferson – “Help Me Make it Through the Night”

The stories of Kris Kristofferson and Bill Withers have always touched me in the fact that both of them were working everyday jobs (sweeping floors and working at an airplane parts factory respectively) when their demos catapulted them into the spotlight. I’ve seen Mr. Kristofferson perform this live a few times and my heart melts every time.


Photo credit: Kim Thiel

MIXTAPE: Dori Freeman’s Waltzes for Dreamers and Losers in Love

Waltzes are my favorite. Can’t explain why, but they touch me in a way that other songs don’t. In honor of my album, Ten Thousand Roses, and its title track, here are twelve of my favorite waltzes — some by dear friends and some by long-gone greats. — Dori Freeman

Erin Rae – “June Bug”

Erin is one of my favorite artists — I just love her voice and the style of her records. This song is so simple (my favorite kind of song), but so sweet and effective lyrically and in the arrangement. The last minute or so of the melody being played on piano is particularly lovely.

Kacy & Clayton – “Down at the Dance Hall”

Kacy and Clayton are dear personal friends and some of the most genuine and truly original people I’ve ever met. This is such a classic-sounding waltz it’s hard to believe it was written only a few years ago. Kacy is also one of my favorite singers *of all time.*

Ric Robertson – “Julie”

Ric is another good friend of mine and easily one of the best songwriters of the time. He writes with a vulnerability and honesty that most people are afraid to share. I also had the privilege of singing harmony on this lovely track with my friend Gina Leslie.

Teddy Thompson – “Over and Over”

I have to include a Teddy song on this playlist since he’s been such a big part of my own music. He produced my first three records and continues to be such a kindred spirit in music making. This song has such a heartbreaking honesty lyrically and a truly haunting arrangement.

Iris Dement – “Sweet Is the Melody”

Iris has one of the most instantly recognizable and unique voices in music. I had this album on cassette tape and used to listen to it driving around in my old Subaru when I was like 19. Such a tender song.

John Hartford/ Tony Rice/ Vassar Clements – “Heavenly Sunlight”

My husband introduced this song to me a few years ago and we’ve been performing it at shows ever since. I never get tired of singing this beautiful song and this is my all-time favorite version. A good gospel waltz is hard to beat.

Linda Ronstadt/ Dolly Parton/ Emmylou Harris – “Hobo’s Meditation”

This song is twofold in its importance to me. First, these are three of the most talented singers ever singing together on one album. All three of these women have had a huge influence on me individually and I think you’d be hard-pressed to find another country singer who wouldn’t say the same. This is also a song that my dad’s band performed and recorded when I was a child. I can vividly remember sitting in the audience listening to them play this song.

The Louvin Brothers – “Blue”

If you want a master class in harmony singing, the Louvin Brothers are it. I love to listen to them dance around each other when they sing, jumping all over the place with grace and finesse. This waltz is a classic heartbreaker with lots of tender swooning falsetto.

George Jones – “Don’t Stop the Music”

Another one of our greatest singers, George Jones. This is one of my husband’s favorite waltzes and makes the cut for me, too. That jump up to the sixth he sings right in the opening gets me every time.

Rufus Wainwright – “Sally Ann”

Most people familiar with my music know that Rufus Wainwright’s music is very dear to my heart. He has a couple beautiful waltzes to choose from, but I included this one from his first record. A weird thing to note perhaps, but I love that you can hear each breath Rufus takes before singing on his recordings.

Lee Ann Womack – “Prelude: Fly”

This album was on heavy rotation when I met my husband in 2016 so when I hear this song I’m reminded of how sweet a time that was. It’s got a special place in my heart. And Lee Ann is one of those singers who makes me cry every time.

Richard Thompson – “Waltzing’s for Dreamers”

My daughter used to like this song when she was littler so that makes it an especially sweet one for me. It has one of my favorite lines — “waltzing’s for dreamers and losers in love.” So funny, so sad, so true.


Photo credit: Kristen Crigger

With These Women Inducted Into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Who Should Be Next?

For the first time in the thirty year history of the International Bluegrass Music Association a class of Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees includes a woman in every act. The Hall of Fame, helmed by the IBMA and housed inside the Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, infamously lacks women. Before this year’s class it included ten women, total, and only one woman — Louise Scruggs — had ever been inducted as an individual. All others had been inducted as members of bands, duos, or organizations. 

This year Alison Krauss and Lynn Morris join the rarest rank of individual female inductees, alongside influential manager Louise Scruggs. The Stonemans — including Patti, Donna, and Roni — join the likes of songwriter Dixie Hall, who was inducted with her husband, Tom T.; Polly, Miggie, and Janis of the Lewis Family; Marion Leighton Levy of the Rounder Records founders; Sara and Maybelle of the Carter Family; and Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard.

To mark the occasion, we’re celebrating women in bluegrass who certainly deserve induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, beginning with this year’s inductees. The point is, there is no dearth of women in bluegrass, from way back in its earliest days before the genre even had a name to the big-tent-bluegrass present, and many of whom are more than qualified for inclusion in this hall of honor — as innovators, ambassadors, creators, pickers, and forebears, all.

Alison Krauss 

Arguably the most well-known bluegrass musician to achieve mainstream success, Alison Krauss is a no-brainer addition to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. With her stellar collaborations — with Robert Plant, James Taylor, T Bone Burnett, and so many others — her bluegrass bona fides, her technical prowess as a fiddler, her crystalline and influential vocals, and her unparalleled skill for song interpretation she’s the perfect multi-hyphenate bluegrasser to demonstrate to veteran fans or the uninitiated passers-by what the Hall of Fame is all about. Because, no matter how far Alison Krauss may stray from bluegrass, everything she does remains firmly rooted in her ‘grassy foundations.


Lynn Morris

Lynn Morris remains a criminally underappreciated figure in bluegrass, partly due to her career being prematurely ended by a near-fatal stroke in the late 1990s. In the decades prior, this IBMA Award winner was a powerful and influential banjo player, bandleader, and community-builder, carving out a pathway to success in roots music for herself — given that no pathways were being made available to women like her. Morris’ brand of bluegrass was unflinching, driving, and gritty, and to this day it continues to defy stereotypes about what women can contribute to a music that often holds up maleness and horse race-style competition as currency. While at the same time, she retained a level of tenderness and openness rare in masculine-centered bluegrass. Hopefully this induction will spotlight Morris’ important role in bluegrass’ golden age during the ‘80s and ‘90s. “Love Grown Cold,” a semi-viral hit for Morris on many a bluegrass social media page, is merely the tip of the iceberg of what will be this Hall of Famer’s long-lasting legacy in this music.


The Stoneman Family

Ernest “Pop” Stoneman, father and figurehead of country’s legendary Stoneman family, was the man who started it all. No, literally. Pop is credited with being a keystone picker, performer, and pseudo-producer of 1927’s Bristol sessions, which later came to be considered as the “big bang of country music,” the beginning of the genre’s commercial fortunes. His family of pickers, including Donna, Roni, and Patti, became stars of stage and screen thanks to their showmanship, homespun vibes, and blistering-fast picking. The impact of this musical family on country, bluegrass, and Americana music — as a unit and as individuals — can simply not be overstated. From Hee Haw to the Grand Ole Opry to winning a CMA Award to international tours with their own group and as side musicians, the fingerprints of the Stoneman Family are all over American roots music across the globe.


Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper

At one point, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper were perhaps the most famous bluegrass act in the world, landing several singles and tracks in Billboard’s Hot Country Chart in the ‘50s and ‘60s — notably landing four songs in the Top 10. Not on a bluegrass chart, because such a thing did not yet exist, but on the country chart! Granted, at that time bluegrass was still considered simply a subgenre of country and hillbilly music, but imagine not just one “Wagon Wheel”-level hit to their name, but a handful! And somehow, in modern times, Wilma Lee & Stoney are at best relegated to footnotes and asides. Bluegrass has always been a commercial genre and the commercial success of this pair is alone worth induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, all their other achievements and accolades notwithstanding.


Ola Belle Reed

Ola Belle Reed is more than “I’ve Endured” and more than “High on the Mountain.” A Western North Carolina songwriter and picker, Reed typified the politically- and environmentally-conscious, subversive, and grounded style of musicmaking by Appalachian women who lived through the many upheavals and uncertainties within the region and around the world during the twentieth century. Her songs, like “Tear Down the Fences,” highlight that the south, Appalachia, and the people who live there are not monoliths. Just as Reed’s catalog of influential music is not a monolith, either. Truly a glaring omission from Bluegrass’s hall of honor.


Sally Ann Forrester

Born Wilene Russell, “Sally Ann” or “Billie” Forrester — wife of fiddler Howdy Forrester — was one of only two women to have ever been members of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys. (The other being Bessie Lee Maudlin, another prime candidate for Hall of Fame induction and inclusion in this list.) With the band, Forrester played accordion and sang as well as “keeping the books.” Inducting the women who were Blue Grass Boys, members of THE titular band of bluegrass, just makes sense! But with Forrester, it also represents an all-too-rare opportunity to canonize a bluegrass accordionist for the ages. Why wouldn’t we want to do that!? Take a listen to her accordion fills on “Rocky Road Blues” and just try to come up with a reason why bluegrass accordion isn’t more popular nowadays. Besides the obvious reasons.


Rose Maddox

Rose Maddox is traditionally credited as the first woman to cut a bluegrass album, recording Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass in 1962 for Capitol Records and including many a bluegrass hit, like “Footprints in the Snow.” Maddox also marked the beginning of a series of women vocalists and musicians in bluegrass who could accomplish the high lonesome sound for which men like Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers, the Osborne Brothers, and others were famous. Women who sang old-time and country up to this point often had rounder, more full, resonant, and rich voices, where men in bluegrass were seemingly attempting to shout tenor to dog whistles. Sexists weren’t sure women could replicate that testicles-in-a-vise-grip sound, but Maddox’s powerful voice immediately commands the same attention – and respect – of the highest and most lonesome. To think there used to be a time when people actually thought (or pretended to think) women couldn’t sing bluegrass!


Elizabeth Cotten

A pillar of American folk music, Elizabeth Cotten’s influence and impact knows no bounds, reaching far from downhome blues, ragtime, and old-time and into bluegrass, folk, Americana, rock, pop, and beyond. Her songs and her playing style continue to influence bluegrass today, but Cotten’s true legacy, one that will stretch on into infinity, is that her existence stands as permission for the Other – for marginalized folks like herself, a Black, working class artisan and musician from the South – to exist and to take up space within these historically white and often forbidding and exclusive roots music communities. Elizabeth Cotten is proof positive that the contributions of Black folks to American roots musics, including if not especially bluegrass, were truly seminal, essential, and vital to the music growing and developing into the entity we all love today. Elizabeth Cotten would be an excellent and unimpeachable first Black and African American inductee into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Let’s make it happen.


Buffalo Gals

In the 1970s the group considered to be the first bluegrass lineup of all women was Buffalo Gals, including Martha Trachtenberg, Susie Monick, Carol Siegel, Sue Raines, and Nancy Josephson. Their first and only record, First Borne, is finally available digitally and via online streaming platforms, but up until recently was largely forgotten. We featured First Borne in our list of the 50 Greatest Bluegrass Albums by women and retold a now-infamous story about the Buffalo Gals performing in their sleeping bags when a festival promoter gave them a set early in the morning because, you guessed it, who would want to see women perform bluegrass!? Hearing this whimsical, zany mash-up of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and “Loco-motion” we’d make this group headline. Just sayin’. With bands like Della Mae and Sister Sadie enjoying success and acclaim at all levels of the IBMA, perhaps it’s time to pay tribute to the all-women lineups like the Buffalo Gals who came before and blazed the trail.


Gloria Belle

A woman for a Sunny Mountain Boy! Gloria Belle is most famous as a member of Jimmy Martin’s backing band, but it would almost be an insult to reduce her career to having spent time in the shadow of the King of Bluegrass. She was a fantastic picker, multi-instrumentalist, and singer and the first woman to ever release an album on longtime bluegrass label Rebel Records. In 1999 she received IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award after a handful of decades of nonstop recording, touring, and performing in bluegrass. She even made an appearance on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s fantastically popular Will the Circle Be Unbroken album. Another case of an underrated woman who is constantly referred to on the back end of an ampersand after a man or men, Gloria Belle is a perfect example of a woman who deserves induction into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame on her own merits first and foremost.


Dolly Parton

Though she’ll often refer to it simply as “mountain music,” Dolly Parton is as bluegrass as they come. Albums like The Grass Is Blue, Heartsongs, and Trio demonstrate this fact to an obvious degree, but it’s worth pointing out — especially within the context of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame — that Parton’s bluegrass runs deeper than just being an offshoot of her musical expression. With the shows and festivals at Dollywood, her collaborations with artists like the Grascals, Rhonda Vincent, and Alison Krauss, and her longtime commitment to philanthropy in her home region of East Tennessee and abroad, Dolly is the perfect example the Hall of Fame could utilize to communicate the importance and value of taking bluegrass ideals and spreading them around the world. Plus, who wouldn’t want a ticket to the IBMA Awards show at which Dolly Parton would be inducted? (Pro tip: Dolly has actually attended the IBMA Awards and performed once before, when The Grass Is Blue was nominated in 2000 and Marty Stuart hosted. Let’s please recreate that show. Please.)

We could continue this list into infinity, and that’s exactly the point. Artists and bands like Alison Brown, Laurie Lewis, Missy Raines, Kathy Kallick, Blue Rose, Emmylou Harris, The Whites, Patty Loveless, and so many others are waiting in the wings, qualified, ready, and willing to step up and thrive under the mantle of Bluegrass Hall of Fame induction. And plenty of young women, femmes, and non-binary folks are waiting to have examples to look up to, to signal to them that bluegrass can be a place where they can also make a home. The concept of a Hall of Fame may seem like an unimportant or inconsequential or self-serving enterprise at times, but it can be so much more than that! We can supply those examples. Let’s do it.