60 Bluegrass Musicians to be honored as Pioneers of Bluegrass Music in
momentous celebration June 26

Owensboro, KY. — On June 26, The International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY will honor 60 legendary musicians known as “Bluegrass Music’s First Generation.” These iconic artists are coming from coast to coast, even from Japan. Each will be recognized onstage for their contribution to the genre known as bluegrass music.

This historic 3-day event, taking place within 30 minutes’ drive of the Rosine, KY - birthplace, homeplace, and burial place of Bill Monroe, “The Father of Bluegrass Music,” is dubbed the “Pioneers of Bluegrass Gathering.” The Museum is hosting the event to celebrate the lives and individual music styles of the artists who, in their various locales throughout this nation and others, played the music Monroe created and thus developed bluegrass into a cultural phenomenon that has spread to a fan base numbering in the tens of millions in 75 nations.

Festivities begin June 26 in conjunction with the Museum’s annual festival, “ROMP, the River of Music Party,” taking place June 26-28 in Owensboro. The ceremony honoring the Pioneers of Bluegrass will take place during The Legends Concert, at 7:00 PM in the RiverPark Center, 101 Daviess St., next door to the Museum. Artists performing at the concert include The Isaacs, The Lewis Family, and The Sullivans. Tickets, which are separate from your ROMP festival ticket, are $50 and are available through June 20.

Many of the honorees have participated in the Museum’s ongoing archival project known as the Video Oral History Project (VOHP). Originally the brainchild of bluegrass legend Sonny Osborne and championed by the Museum’s founder, Terry Woodward and others, VOHP’s goal is to record the life histories, performance styles, and musical contributions of those who were among the earliest practitioners of bluegrass music. The Pioneers of Bluegrass Gathering is sponsored by preeminent fiddler and real estate developer Fletcher Bright of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The purpose of this Gathering is to honor these luminaries–and their Interviewers, many of whom will be in attendance — and give them, their families, friends, and fans memories to last a lifetime, as they have done for us.

ROMP festival performances continue on Friday and Saturday, June 27-28 at Yellow Creek Park, just outside Owensboro, where Main Stage performances begin Friday at noon and continue through 11 PM Saturday. Featured are a broad spectrum of nationally known bluegrass acts, along with bands from
Italy, Sweden, and New Zealand.

To view the full line-up, visit bluegrassmuseum.org or call 888 MY BANJO.

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The Isaacs will perform at ROMP June, 26 as part of the annual Legends Concert.

Fans of bluegrass gospel should be prepared to …. well, romp at the annual ROMP sponsored by the International Bluegrass Music Museum June 26-28 in Owensboro, Ky.

The festival has lined up three of the biggest bluegrass gospel groups on the circuit today for its annual Legends concert, slated from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 26. Appearing will be The Sullivans, the Lewis Family and The Isaacs. If that’s not enough, consider this: Ron Thomason of Dry Branch Fire Squad will serve as the evening’s emcee. The show will take place at Riverpark Center.

ROMP shows Friday and Saturday will be held at Yellow Creek Park.

Friday’s lineup includes Lost and Found, Country Ham, the Larry Stephenson Band, Sauber & Graham, Red Wine, Hazel Dickens, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Dale Ann Bradley and Mike Snider.

Performing Saturday will be Cherryholmes, Dailey & Vincent, Infamous Stringdusters, Cadillac Sky, Claire Lynch, G2, the Buddy and Tina Wright Band, Kentucky Bluegrass All Stars, Cedar Hill, and Tim, Tina and the U.S. Express.

The festival includes museum tours, workshops and a trade show.

Tickets and additional details are at www.riverofmusic.org.

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