Great causes usually draw great people, great support and great crowds — a combination for great results.

That’s been the case for the past several years as Musicians Against Childhood Cancer is staged at Hoover Y-Park in Columbus, Ohio. The benefit has raised and donated well over $400,000 to childhood cancer research and care.

The dates for this year’s festival — officially billed as the 24th annual MACC/Bluegrass Classic — are July 23, 24, 25 and 26. It goes under the trademark name of Darrel Adkins and The Bluegrass Classic.

The cause couldn’t be any closer to Darrel Adkins and his family. Adkins and his wife Phyllis get deep and personal with this message on the M.A.C.C. Web site:

“Our daughter, Mandy, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain stem tumor, and lost her battle with cancer on November 25, 2000. I have experienced first-hand the devastation childhood cancer causes the patient and the family. After witnessing the great need that exists for continued research and highly qualified doctors and staff, we felt compelled to do something to help make sure that other children, facing the biggest challenge of their young lives, have hope and the best possible care. With this in mind, we have founded M.A.C.C., Musicians Against Childhood Cancer.” Darrel & Phyllis Adkins

The benefits were formerly held at Frontier Ranch, and more recently moved to the Hoover Y-Park in Columbus, Ohio. They traditionally draw thousands of fans from all over the world.

“We plan to continue the tradition of quality family entertainment but with one major change, the proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.,” Adkins said.

Entertainer Danny Thomas founded St. Jude in 1962 with the promise to help children and families regardless of race, creed, color, religion or their ability to pay. Since 1962 treatment protocols developed at St. Jude, which are shared with the world medical community, have brought survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20% to better than 70%.

With a daily budget exceeding $1.5 million, St. Jude depends entirely on donations of which 90% of every dollar donated goes toward patient care.

As has become tradition, this year’s festival will feature an all-star lineup of artists, who all donated their performances to the M.A.C.C fund.

Special performances have been arranged for the July festival, topped by the original Longview, which includes Dudley Connell, Joe Mullins, James King, Don Rigsby and Marshal Wilburn.

The Friday M.A.C.C. Opry will also perform. It features J. D. Crowe & The New South with special guest The Grascals.

The Saturday M.A.C.C. Opry show will include Carl Jackson , Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle, Shawn Camp and Morgan Hayes.

The MACC Children’s Band will also perform. Young instrumentalists and vocalists are required to attend daily rehearsals in order to perform on stageat 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Ticket and camping information is available at http://www.bluegrassclassic.com/tickets.html

Adkins is inviting donations from folks who can’t attend the festival. Those contributions should be made payable to Musicians Against Childhood Cancer®, and mailed to 1434 S. 3B’s & K Road, Galena, OH 43021

Here’s a rundown of the all-star lineup:

Wednesday

• Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
• Lonesome River Band
• Mountain Heart
• Lost and Found
• James King Band
• Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
• David Parmley & Continental Divide
• New Found Road

Thursday

• Blue Moon Rising
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Daily & Vincent
• Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers
• Pine Mountain Railroad
• Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
• Larry Stephenson Band
• Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
• The Original Longview

Friday

• Ernie Thacker & Rt 23
• Mark Newton Band
• J.D. Crowe & The New South
• The Grascals
• Steep Canyon Rangers
• Blue Highway
• Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
• Don Rigsby & Midnight Call
• Bill Emerson & The Sweet Dixie Band
• The MACC Opry

Saturday

• The MACC Children’s Band
• Kenny & Amanda Smith
• Grasstowne
• Ronnie Bowman & The Committee
• Bradley Walker
• Randy Kohrs & The Lites with Jim Lauderdale
• Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
• The Harley Allen Band
• Steeldrivers
• Carl Jackson, Jerry Salley, Larry Cordle & Shawn Camp, aka The Saturday M.A.C.C. Opry

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The Steeldrivers

This weeks Grand Ole Opry while short on quanity will feature 2 strong Bluegrass Bands, Mountain Heart and The Steeldrivers.

Mountain Heart will play sets both Friday and Saturday night. Their latest release, “Road That Never Ends” on Rural Rhythm Records is currently at # 11 on Roots Music Report’s Bluegrass charts.

Saturday night, The Steeldrivers will be performing material off of their self-titled debut, on Rounder, that is garnering critical acclaim and has launched the seasoned group of Nashville session musicians and songwriters into an in-demand act for the 2008 festival season.

Friday, May 2

• Mountain Heart — 9:00 - 9:30

Saturday, May 3

• The Steeldrivers — 7:00 - 8:00
• Mountain Heart — 8:30 - 9:00 & 11:00 - 11:30

The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM 650 AM radio, online at www.WSMonline.com and on XM Satellite Radio (XM 11). All listed times are central time.

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The Two Man Gentlemen Band “Heavy Petting” (Serious Business Records)

The Two Man Gentlemen Band is comprised of Andy Bean ( Vocals, Banjo, & Foot Tambourine, Piano) and Fuller Condon (Vocals & Bass) who got there start spending two years as street musicians in New York’s Central Park. The CD also includes Travis Harrison on percussion and Justin Smith on “violin.”

“Heavy Petting,” the Gentlemen’s 3rd record on Serious Business Records, features a batch of songs that are chock full of humor, heavy innuendo, wit, energy and some raucous grooves. Bean and Condon’s music is a veritable melting pot of influences seasoned with vaudeville, swing, jazz, blues and old time country. The pace on the CD runs from a trot to absolutely frenetic with some of the haughtiest kazoo solos you’ve ever heard.

The CD kicks off in high gear and sets the tone for what’s to come with a tongue in cheek ode to the United State’s largest President, “William Howard Taft,” touting “you can’t sneak nothing past William Howard Taft.” The Gentlemen have also released a video for “William Howard Taft.”

“The Square Root of Two” is an upbeat geeky romantic serenade for those who are more mathematically inclined. The wit of Andy Bean proclaiming “My love is like the square root of two written as a decimal” will surely come to be the “pop the big question” theme song for mathematicians everywhere. After one listen you’ll agree, how could it not?

“Heavy Petting” is one of the funnest albums I’ve listened to in a long time. On the first, second, heck even the third listen, the Gentlemen’s songwriting leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout the album wondering what hilarity or subtle twisted lyric is coming down the pipe. Andy Bean, the group’s main songwriter, writes lyrics  so off the beaten path they are virtually cliche free.

The Two Man Gentlemen Band , at the very least, should go down in the history books as the duo who made the kazoo hip again.

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