The Music of Kentucky is heavily centered on Appalachian folk music and its descendants, especially in eastern Kentucky. Bluegrass music is of particular regional importance; Bill Monroe, "the father of bluegrass music", was born in the Ohio County community of Rosine, and he named his band, the Blue Grass Boys, after the bluegrass state, i.e., Kentucky. Travis picking, the influential guitar style, is named after Merle Travis, born and raised in Muhlenberg County. Kentucky is home to the Country Music Highway, which extends from Portsmouth, Ohio, to the Virginia border in Pike County.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is an annual celebration of local music and culture that is held at the Fairgrounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest has attracted thousands of visitors to New Orleans each year. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, as it is officially named, was initially established in 1970 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (NPO). The Foundation is the original organizer of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell Oil Company, a corporate financial sponsor. The Foundation was primarily established to redistribute the funds generated by Jazz Fest into the local community. As an NPO, their mission further states that the Foundation "promotes, preserves, perpetuates and encourages the music, culture and heritage of communities in Louisiana through festivals, programs and other cultural, educational, civic and economic activities." The founders of the organization include George Wein, Quint Davis and Allison Miner.
The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales.
Charles Samuel Bush is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival.
Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that has been recording since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013. Their ninth album, Remedy, released in 2014, won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. The group's music has been called old-time, folk, and alternative country. Along with original songs, the band performs many pre-World War II blues and folk songs.
Appalachian music is the music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. It is derived from various European and African influences, including English ballads, Irish and Scottish traditional music, hymns, and African-American blues. First recorded in the 1920s, Appalachian musicians were a key influence on the early development of Old-time music, country music, and bluegrass, and were an important part of the American folk music revival of the 1960s. Instruments typically used to perform Appalachian music include the banjo, American fiddle, fretted dulcimer, and guitar.
MerleFest is an annual "traditional plus" music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the campus of Wilkes Community College. The festival, which is held the last weekend in April, was hosted by Grammy Award winner Doc Watson prior to his death and is named in memory and honor of his son, Eddy Merle Watson, who died in a farm tractor accident in 1985.
The International Bar-B-Q Festival is an event held in Owensboro, Kentucky, every second weekend in May since 1979, except 2020 when it was cancelled. The festival provides an opportunity for sampling many varieties of barbecued meats, including chicken, mutton, and burgoo. Cooking teams compete for the Governor's Cup, awarded to the team judged to have the best barbecued cuisine. Other attractions include square dancing, musical performances, and arts and crafts. The Kentucky Department of Tourism recently projected an expected attendance of 85,000 for the festival.
Rickie Lee Skaggs, known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass (HSB), originally Strictly Bluegrass, is an annual free and non-commercial music festival held the first weekend of October in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Conceived and subsidized by San Francisco venture capitalist Warren Hellman, the festival has been held every year since the first event in 2001.
The Podunk Bluegrass Festival is a bluegrass festival established in 1996 and taking place in August each year in Connecticut, United States. The festival features local, regional, and national bluegrass musicians. Besides four days of music on the main stage, the festival hosts band and songwriting competitions, a kid's bluegrass academy, workshops with headlining bands, and separate picking and quiet camping areas.
Caleb Chapman is an American music educator, author, entrepreneur, producer, bandleader, and musician from Derry, New Hampshire who currently resides in Utah. A graduate of Brigham Young University, he is the founder and Chairman of Caleb Chapman's Soundhouse, a professional musician training program with locations across the U.S. and the director of Caleb Chapman's Crescent Super Band. Chapman has been recognized for his contributions to music education and has received numerous honors for his work as an educator.
The Forecastle Festival is a three-day music, art, activism festival held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was founded in 2002 as a small gathering of local musicians in Tyler Park, and steadily grew into a national attraction that now includes major touring acts and an economic impact of over $20 million per year Forecastle was selected as one of Rolling Stone's "Coolest Festivals" and has an annual attendance of over 75,000 fans at Louisville Waterfront Park. It attracts attendees from nearly all 50 states, 2000 cities, and a dozen international countries. Past headliners include The Black Keys, Jack White, Beck, Sam Smith, Outkast, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Chris Stapleton, My Morning Jacket, Sturgill Simpson, Alabama Shakes, The Flaming Lips, The Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic and more
Old Settler's Music Festival is an annual music festival held since 1988 in Tilmon, Texas, just southeast of Lockhart, Texas. The festival features acoustic jazz and blues, bluegrass, local favorites, and award-winning artists from around the world. Camping, arts and crafts, food and drink are available.
The Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards, established in 1979, are presented annually by the Northern Bluegrass Committee at its Huntsville, Ontario festival. This event also hosts the annual meeting of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada (BMAC).
The Pineridge Bluegrass Folklore Society (PBFS) is a non-profit organization initiated in 1977 for the purpose of preserving and promoting bluegrass music in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
The Charm City Bluegrass Festival is a bluegrass festival established in 2013 and taking place each April in Baltimore, MD. The festival features local, regional, and national musicians. The festival maintains strong ties with the local community and seeks to highlight the long, distinguished history of Bluegrass music in Baltimore.
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is an annual music festival held in mid-July in Oak Hill, Greene County, New York. The festival features a variety of acoustic music including traditional and contemporary bluegrass, jam bands, old-time, swing and Cajun. The festival presents nationally and internationally touring bluegrass bands and showcases emerging artists from around the country. The event runs Thursday through Sunday the third weekend of July. and attendance averages about 6,000 patrons per day.
The Soma Festival is an annual music, arts, and cultural festival. The festival includes concerts, musical performances, well-being activities, art exhibitions and stalls, language events, celebrations of food and drink, music workshops, and pub sessions. The festival began in 2013 and takes place in Castlewellan, County Down in Northern Ireland. The festival is directed by Belfast-born singer Tíona McSherry and run by a team of volunteers. The Festival Club brings together musicians and festival visitors on a nightly basis.
Donald DePoy is an American bluegrass musician, music educator, and music event organizer. He is a fifth-generation bluegrass musician from the Shenandoah Valley and a multi-instrumentalist. He and his wife Martha Hills have performed as the duo Me & Martha since 2005. He is founder of the Shenandoah Music Trail and the first "bluegrass church". He won first place in dulcimer at the 2017 Old Fiddlers' Convention in Galax, Virginia.
