Update - 2:04 PM
Steeldrivers on televised portion of Grand Ole Opry

Recently named the #1 “Band to Watch in 2008” by American Songwriter, The SteelDrivers will be performing at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, May 3 in support of their self-titled debut album. Their performance will be broadcast live on Opry Live on GAC (8 PM EST/7 PM CST) with encore performances airing several times during the week. Check out air dates here: http://www.gactv.com/gac/shows_goo/

The SteelDrivers were recently featured on CMT’s Unplugged at Studio 330.

The SteelDrivers are: mandolinist/guitarist/vocalist Mike Henderson, guitarist/vocalist Chris Stapleton, fiddler/vocalist Tammy Rogers, banjo player Richard Bailey and bassist Mike Fleming.

Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson along with Mike Bub will play the Station Inn May 2 at 9:00 P.M.

Iconic country-rock pioneers Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson play the Station Inn May 2

Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson, along with Mike Bub will perform, what’s sure to be a great evening of music, at the Station Inn on Friday, May 2. in Nashville, Tenn. The show takes place at 9:00 P.M. and tickets are $20. For more information visit the Station Inn online or call 615-255-3307.

The trio will play the hits from their former groups’ repertoire, including The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Stephen Stills’ Manassas and Desert Rose Band, as well as selections from their recent solo projects. Come hear old favorites like “Turn,Turn, Turn,” “Tambourine Man,” “Eight Miles High,” “Wheels,” or “Devil In Disguise” from the original source! For more on Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen, visit them online at www.chrishillman.com or www.herbpedersen.com

Audie Blaylock and Redline climbing the charts

Audie Blaylock and Redline’s “Lonesome Weary Heart” is currently sitting at #12 on the Sirius Bluegrass CountDown Yonder Charts.

Blaylock and company also are staying busy as the festival season begins to roll full steam ahead. The month of May will see Audie and Redline performing on “Song of the Mountains,” a syndicated show that is broadcast on 165 plus PBS stations, on May 3 in Marion, VA at the Lincoln Theatre. The group is also making stops at the Fire on the Strings Festival in Montgomery, TX (May 16), the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival in Gettysburg, PA (May 18), a radio appearance on the WDVX Blueplate Special (May 30) and The 1st annual Jimmy Martin Memorial Bluegrass Festival in Sneedville, TN (May 31).

Songsmith, Sarah Siskind to play Nashville, Tenn. Date May 22

Sarah Siskind will play a May 22 show at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, Tenn.

Sarah Siskind will play an 8:00 P.M. show at one of Nashville’s premier live music clubs, 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, May 22. Cover charge for the show is $12.00.

Alison Krauss has championed Sarah and values her songs so highly that she’s recorded two of them, both of which became singles and videos that received widespread airplay. The Infamous Stringdusters have recorded the Siskind penned “Lovin’ You” for their forthcoming album on Sugar Hill Records. Not yet 30, Sarah has become a respected and acknowledged master of her craft in the crowded scene of Nashville. In the years to come, the wider world will come to know her as an artist of striking originality and emotional complexity. Sarah is currently working on a new album.

The Marksmen have their sights set on Ringold, GA.

The Share America Foundation will host Dove Award nominees The Marksmen Quartet Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ringgold Depot, corner of Depot Street and U.S. 41 in Ringgold, GA. Also appearing are the Frettin’ On Faith Dulcimer Club and the event will feature an art exhibit by Chuck Frye. Randall Franks from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night” will emcee.

The event is a fundraiser for the Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship Fund helping musicians achieve higher education. Donations for tickets are adults: $5, Children 5 and under free with adult. Seating is limited to 300. Tickets may be purchased locally in advance during business hours at The Catoosa County News (706) 935-2621 in Ringgold and SonShine Christian Books (706) 861-7675 in Fort Oglethorpe. For more information, Share America Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 42 Tunnel Hill, Ga. 30755.

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Rhonda Vincent has released her 10th video for the song “I Gotta Start Somewhere” from her latest album, “Good Thing Going“

Burlington, MA – Rhonda Vincent has just released her 10th career video – for the song “I Gotta Start Somewhere” from her latest album, “Good Thing Going“. The video, filmed in Bryson City, NC with Los Angeles director Dallas Henry, features Vincent trying to get over a broken relationship by retreating to the mountains. Vincent’s band, The Rage, make their video debut along with her driver, Yogi Bare. The video premiered on the bluegrass.cmt.com blog to help launch this new CMT initiative – a blog devoted to bluegrass music – on May 1 and will debut on CMT Pure in heavy rotation on Monday, May 5.

The release of “I Gotta Start Somewhere” and the bluegrass.cmt.com blog coincides with the 20th Anniversary of Worldwide Bluegrass Music Month, an initiative that began in 1988 to develop a larger audience for bluegrass music. During the month of May, bluegrass devotees ensure that the month is filled with bluegrass events around the world.

The video can be viewed here: http://blog.cmt.com/category/bluegrass.

Released in January, “Good Thing Going” has topped Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums Chart (currently #8), Bluegrass Unlimited’s Top 15 Bluegrass Albums Chart (currently #2), and Bluegrass Music Profile’s Top 10 Bluegrass CDs Chart (currently #1).

For a complete and up-to-date tour schedule, go to www.rhondavincent.com or www.rounder.com.

Rhonda… The Rage… The Road

• May 2 — Oakland Community College - Waterford, MI
• May 3 — Centennial Hall - London, ON Canada
• May 4 — Apple Blossom Festival - Winchester, VA
• May 10 — Little Nashville Opry - Nashville, IN
• May 11-13 — Silver Dollar City - Branson, MO
• May 16 — Central VA Family Bluegrass Festival - Amelia, VA
• May 17 — Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival - Gettysburg, PA
• May 24 — Prairie Home Companion - Vienna, VA
• May 30 — Strawberry Park Festival - Preston, CT
• May 31 — Graves Mountain Festival - Syria, VA

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Special Consensus will perform at the inaugural concert benefiting the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in Dallas, TX

Special C along with Blue Moon Drive featuring Gerald Jones will be performing at the inaugural benefit concert for the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in Dallas, Texas Saturday May 3. The 7:30 P.M. concert takes place at the historic Sons of Hermann Hall located at 3414 Elm St. in Dallas. Tickets are available at the door for $12.00.

The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the heritage of bluegrass music in America. The Foundation seeks to educate the public about this distinctly American form of music with roots in Irish, Scottish, and English tradi­tional music through educational programs and workshops, public performances of bluegrass music, and other similar programs

The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation is managed by a Board of Directors and a non-voting Advisory Board that provides advice, assistance, and resources to the Foundation. The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation is a non-profit corporation organized under Texas law.

The foundation is currently seeking donations. For more information visit them online at http://bluegrassheritage.org.

The foundation’s current board of directors includes:

• Alan W. Tompkins, President - Alan co-founded the Frisco Bluegrass Festival held at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (2006-07) and Acoustic Music Camp, an instructional institute for acoustic musicians.
• Gerald L. Jones - Invented the Acoustic Plus electronic banjo pickup used by Earl Scruggs, Bela Fleck, Alan Munde, Bill Keith, and others. Gerald is a multi-instrumentalist who is proficient on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and fiddle. Gerald co-founded the Frisco Bluegrass Festival and Acoustic Music Camp.
• Richard S. Tucker - Responsible for the creation of the Argyle Bluegrass Festival, the largest and most successful bluegrass festival in Texas. Richard also serves as President and a member of the Board of Directors of The Foundation for Bluegrass Music, Inc., a tax-exempt organization dedicated to fostering awareness of bluegrass music with a focus on youth and education.
• Clifford G. Fitch - A professional instrument luthier and the founder of Fitch Banjos. Cliff builds profes sional-grade custom banjos and performs instrument set-up and restoration services for some of the top players in the country. Fitch Banjos is also the designated United States custom shop for Recording King Banjos.
• Raleigh W. Newsam - Born in New York City, he spent his youth in Long Island, New York and Clarksville, Tennessee. It was in Clarksville that he developed his love and enthusiasm for bluegrass and country music. Raleigh has been active with numerous charitable organizations.

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Gibson has announced a new “Period Inspired Limited Gibson Victorian F5 Mandolin” that will be limited to a run of 15 instruments. It will be available beginning in May.

The Victorian F5 Mandolin was designed using the best appointments and attributes of the F5 and F4 models.

The “Victorian” has a 1 piece figured Maple back, as well as figured Maple on the sides and neck, a Red Spruce top, Ivroid bound f-holes, top, back, neck and headstock and Hide Glue Construction is used throughout.

Each Gibson Victorian F5 Mandolin is finished in a Traditional Victorian F model Black top / Red Burst Back with an Aged Oil Varnish / French Polish overcoat. Other appointments include Nickel Waverly Tuners, 2 foot adjustable ebony bridge and a Victorian style elevated Tortoisoid Pickguard. More information on the Victorian F5 can be found on Gibson’s site.

The Gibson Victorian mandolin has each of the time-proven features that the most discerning mandolin players demand of their instruments while combining the beloved details of both the F4 and F5 mandolins. The Victorian mandolin is constructed of figured maple back, sides and neck, and a red spruce top with f-holes-all held together with hot hide glue. As a special touch for this mandolin, all of these instruments are made with a one-piece figured maple back, stunningly accentuated in an early teens Victorian Era Red Sunburst finish. Additionally, the peghead face will feature a Gibson “double flower pot” inlay, used for the first time since the pre-truss rod era ended. The beautifully figured F5-length neck is topped by an ebony fingerboard with a subtle radius that finishes over the body with an F4-style fingerboard end. Other features include a period correct “black-face” top, F4-style pickguard and side clamp, and nickel-plated Waverly “arrow-point” tuners with ivoroid buttons. The fingerboard, body, and f-holes are also gracefully adorned with ivoroid binding. In keeping with the patina of those original models, the Victorian mandolin comes with an aged varnish finish and the same soul-stirring tone. The Gibson Limited Victorian F5 mandolin is the result of a decade of innovation and craftmanship, and can only be owned by 15 fortunate players. Look for a Victorian mandolin at a dealer near you this May. Each instrument will come complete with a hardshell case and an accompanying Certificate of Authenticity. Gibson.com

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