The big question today, Friday, May 16, was whether to cancel The Rosine Barn Jamboree or not.
This type situation at the barn is always pertinent to me, but this time it was a little more so because my brother Kevin and I were scheduled to perform at 8:00.
Of course, everyone was watching weather forecasts and radar on their phones and tv’s all day.
Around 1pm there was a short, text-thread discussion among The Rosine Association (TRA) board members. Most folks were okay either way. Some wanted to wait and see.
In the end, no one moved to cancel, so the show was on!
As the evening drew near, radar forecasts seem to show the worst weather missing Rosine. I was glad for I was eager for the Autry Brothers to be on stage.
The crowd was expectedly smaller than usual as folks worried about the storms decided to stay home and not chance it. Can’t blame anyone for that, right?
(pic from cousin Sheila’s iPhone)
We kicked our set off on time. The crowd was responsive. Our voices seemed to blend well. I believe we finished four songs, and this happened.
(from the Weather Channel)
A tornado warning was issued for Horse Branch a few miles up the road. Needless to say, we stopped the show and evacuated.
My house sits right next to the barn, and it has a basement, so some friends and family came next door.
A kind lady from Wisconsin came with us because she had nowhere to go. A couple friends from Indiana, Donald and his son Silver, came to the house as well.
The house was full, so Kevin and I just continued our set right there in the living room.
In the end Horse Branch wasn’t hit by a tornado. In Rosine we had a downpour, and it passed fairly quickly. In other words it was a false alarm.
It was not a false alarm in other Kentucky towns, especially Somerset and London. Nine people lost their lives there, and more were injured. Homes were lost, too.
Although the Autry Brothers didn’t finish their set, evacuating was without a doubt the correct thing to do. Much, much better to be safe than sorry. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to play again this year.
Is it frustrating? Perhaps a little. We did spend three evenings practicing this week.
One way of looking on the bright side of things is to be thankful for those three evenings together with my brother. Instead of seeing it as wasted time, I should see it as time gained.
Another positive is to realize that since we only played four songs we can use most of the set list when we play again in the fall.
And the most positive thing of all—we’re alive.
Our time on earth is precious and fleeting. After today, I’m going to focus on that.
Let us pray for the folks who weren’t so fortunate May 16, 2025.
I’ve never been down to Cross Plains, Tennessee, for this festival, but I hear great things. Can’t this year either as I have prior obligations, so I’ll try to make it next year.
If you look closely at the flyer, you’ll notice three bands very familiar and involved in Rosine.
King’s Highway, South Union and Ridgetop Ramblers are regulars at The Rosine Barn Jamboree and/or the Jerusalem Ridge Festival.
Seems like King’s Highway has been on the Bluegrass scene here in Ohio County since the beginning of, and maybe even before, The Rosine Project in the early 2000’s.
Band leader Mark Hargis, from Henderson, Ky, has been helping Rosine all this time. He should be appreciated for his contributions to our cause.
And, of course, King’s Highway guitarist and vocalist Josh Johnston is a local, Horse Branch man who’s done well for himself. I particularly enjoy his high tenor harmonies.
King’s Highway bass player Kristy Whiteside, from Fordsville, has played bass for The Caney Creek Gang (CCG) numerous times. She’s always looking for ways to help Rosine.
King’s Highway banjer man Mike Fulkerson has played with CCG as well. He and his wife, bassist Christi Fulkerson, also play with Kenneth & Angie Newell. Mike and Christi live down in Springfield, Tn.
South Union banjer man Larry Hill, from Greenville, Ky, doubles on the five-string with CCG. Larry helps me out at Open Mic at the barn quite a bit, too. I definitely appreciate that because I need all the help I can get.
South Union bass man David Dye has local ties, too. His sister JoNell Woolen sings nearly every Friday night during the Floyd Stewart & Friends segment. I graduated high school with David’s nephew Phillip Dye.
I’m always excited when the Ridgetop Ramblers appear on The Rosine Barn Jamboree schedule once or twice each year. From Ridgetop, Tennessee, they’re a favorite at the barn.
Their niche is taking classic rock songs and playing them Bluegrass style. It’s not all they do, but I consider it their calling card.
Last but not least, right there on the flyer is yet another extremely close connection with Rosine, specifically The Autry Brothers.
Look close! Closer! See it? It’s actually not an it; it’s a him. I’ll give you a hint: Red Jacket.
Yep! There he is! Bluegrass Boy Michael Feagan, one of the best fiddlers around. Mike fiddles with The Tennessee Bluegrass Band now.
How is Mr. Feagan connected to the Autry Brothers? Well, if you’ve heard our 2008 Walkin’ Jerusalem Ridge cd, you’ve heard Mike because he did all the fiddling on that project.
On top of that, he even sang some bass on one track: “Goin’ Up Home.”
Mike Feagan has also played the Jerusalem Ridge Festival with The Caney Creek Gang several times. You couldn’t ask for a better dude.
Someday soon, if his busy road schedule will allow it, I’ll interview him for a blog post feature.
(from last year’s Kilgore Station)
If you don’t know him, that’s Dennis Cook at Kilgore Station 2024 with a lady who won tickets to the Jerusalem Ridge Festival.
Dennis will be there again this year 2025 manning the Jerusalem Ridge Festival booth.
Dennis is Bill Monroe Foundation Chairman and Chairman of The Rosine Association; both are unpaid positions. Nobody works harder for Rosine without compensation than Dennis.
Here’s this year’s Kilgore Station lineup…
(from Facebook)
Well, there you have it! A powerful lineup! I wish I could be there in Cross Plains, Tennessee, Saturday, May 17, but alas, I cannot.
But maybe you can?! If you’re not busy, go check it out! For sure, you will not regret it!
I’ve played five of them during open mic at The Rosine Barn Jamboree. Three to go! Just as I said I would.
It’s been interesting finding and choosing them, even more so playing them because none of them are of the best quality.
I suppose I could have gone another route—find one decent, blue guitar and stick with that one. But where’s the fun or challenge in that.
I have enjoyed trying to coax a decent sound from inexpensive guitars. Certainly, some have been more enjoyable than others.
Most of them came with cheap, low-quality strings, so I’ve replaced them with better.
For Bluegrass music, medium strings are preferred, but these guitars aren’t constructed well enough to handle that amount of tension. Therefore, I’m using light gauge.
I’m a phosphor bronze man, so that’s what type of strings I’m using. For those who are curious, phosphor bronze is a type of metal alloy.
Entire books have been written about guitar strings. There’s a great deal of science involved. And a great many string manufacturers! I prefer D’addario and GHS, but I have also used Earthwoods, Martin, and DR strings.
Regardless of brand, a majority of Bluegrassers use phosphor bronze; some use 80/20 (80% copper/20% zinc); a few use nickel bronze or aluminum bronze.
That’s enough about strings! Maybe more in a separate post.
None of these eight dreadnoughts arrived already setup; in fact, two of them were virtually unplayable. They needed some fret leveling, truss rod adjusting, saddle sanding, and nut filing, so I took them to a luthier. They’re better now.
I hope you don’t mind if I share each guitar with you. All the photos were shot and edited by my photog-wiz daughter Lauren. By the way, she’s for hire!
Here we go!
The first of the guitars I used was this baby blue, slope-shouldered dreadnought from Applause, which is made by Ovation. It’s called their “Jump” model.
Though I like this guitar, the pickguard left much to be desired, so I replaced it with this faux wood-grain pickguard. I like the way it turned out.
The second week of open mic I used this Stagg. It’s their SW203TB model. It didn’t play too well; I’ll need to do a little more tinkering with it to get it right.
On stage the beautiful navy blue is even darker. Some in the audience actually thought it was black.
Hate to say this, but this one may go back on the market for $150. Anyone interested? Too much? Make me an offer!
The third guitar I used was this Oscar Schmidt, which is made by Washburn. This particular model is OG2TBL, and it’s one of the two best out of the eight in the blue guitar collection.
Not only is it nice-looking; it plays well, too. Another plus was that it came already strung up with a good set of D’addario light gauge strings. It could probably even handle mediums.
This is a Vangoa, a Walmart guitar. No model number to be found. I chose it to see how a Walmart guitar would stack up against some name brands.
I haven’t played it at open mic yet. It might be the last one I play because it’s needing some attention.
I already had to put a pickguard on it, as it did not come with one. Do you think the tortoiseshell pickguard suits it? Why, no! It’s not real! That would be illegal.
The guitar looks good, but the action is terribly high. I might have to take it to my luthier. To be fair, it was the cheapest of the eight, so my expectations are not high.
I haven’t played this one at open mic yet either. It came in almost unplayable condition, which kind of surprised me because I expected better from Epiphone.
It’s their Starling model, and I have heard praise for it. So I’m nowhere near giving up on it. Not at all. We’ll just have to wait and see…wait and see.
The Stadium SG200BL was the fourth guitar I played at open mic.
Like some of the others, it was in serious need of help when it arrived. So bad actually, that I took it to my luthier. There was only so much he could do with a guitar this cheaply made, but at least it’s playable now.
If you’re wondering who my luthier/guitar repairman is, I’ll have to remain tight-lipped. He asks that I not put his name in the blog.
This is the Ibanez PF18. It says it’s a “Washed Denim Blue.” Up close it actually does resemble a blue jean blue.
I might be using it at open mic this coming Friday, May 16th. That’s right! The same day The Autry Brothers play at 8pm I’ll be leading open mic at 6pm.
I expected the Ibanez to be in better playing condition when it arrived. But no, it needs some attention, too. Among other things, the action is way too high.
The fifth guitar I used (just last week) was this Dean AXS Quilted Ash. I like the figure in the wood, I like it ALOT. It’s not spruce; it’s ash, but it’s so pretty! Probably why I bought it.
The best thing about it, though, is that it arrived closer to being ready to play than any of the others. So it will stay in the fold.
I’m actually planning to change its appearance a little, so the next time it goes on stage be prepared for how it looks! For a bit of a preview, look for a fancy, white pickguard.
So…there they are…
Five down, with the Vangoa, the Epiphone, and the Ibanez to be played over the next three weeks. The order is still undecided.
Then I’ll start over from the beginning. Applause, Stagg, Oscar Schmidt, Stadium, Dean…
Let me be clear…all these acoustic guitars are made overseas. However, so are most acoustics that are considered “better;” for example, Blueridge, Eastman, Alvarez, Takamine, and Recording King guitars, to name a few, are made overseas.
Very few acoustic guitars are made in the USA Today. Even my Martin (Sweetwater D10E) is made in Mexico.
You’re high-end Martins and Gibsons are American-made. So are Taylor guitars, Larrivee guitars, Collings guitars and a whole bunch of custom-made guitars like Gallagher and Henderson and Bourgeois and Thompson and a hundred or so more who’ll be mad that I didn’t list them all.
And so I do apologize. For a complete list please see Google.
Did I say how much fun it has been with these eight blue guitars? Well, let me say it again…They have been fun!
Even our little film session with them was fun. Lauren and the grandkids (Aris and Heidi) were at the house. I looked at the weather forecast, and it said rain in two hours.
Plenty enough time to snap a few pics, right? Right?!
Wrong!!! I should have known!
We were having a “groovy” time carrying guitars next door to The Rosine Barn Jamboree.
I had propped three guitars up against the old, faded wood out front under the sign and was preparing a fourth guitar when…I felt a drop…but surely not a raindrop…yes, it was.
Then the rushing-to-finish started. And the drops came quicker and quicker.
Needless to say, we got it done just in time to avoid a downpour and rain damage, but if it wasn’t for Lauren’s editing talent, you would have been looking at rain-mottled guitars and a rain-mottled me. Thank you, Sweetie!
I only wish she had photoshopped a smile on my face, anything better than the scowl brought on by the rush and the rain.
Friday, May 16! 8pm! The Rosine Barn Jamboree! Be there or be square!
Obviously, Kevin and I go way back, but it was so long ago that I can’t remember the very first time we sang together.
As far back as the 80’s, I can recall us singing “Yesterday” by the Beatles. Just for family. And acapella! That was our earliest duet, but I’m not certain that we harmonized. I believe our voices just blended well, even singing in unison.
By the early 90’s, we could play a little guitar for accompaniment. Papaw Tom died in ‘93, so we would visit Mamaw Eva and play and sing for her gathered around the kitchen table.
In 1992, a barn in Rosine, right beside her house, was transformed into a bluegrass music venue called The Old Barn Jamboree. Imagine that! A few years later that barn would officially become known as The Rosine Barn Jamboree.
She pushed us to walk next door and play and sing. We did—for her. She loved hearing us do “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
Another song she loved was “Yard Sale” by Sammy Kershaw because her son Ronnie (our uncle) sang it all the time.
You might not believe it, but Kevin and I were frowned upon when we sang that song and other country songs at the barn.
Back then the bluegrassers were fiercely protective of that barn; they wanted it to be a strictly-bluegrass venue.
Nevertheless, as long as Mamaw Eva wanted to hear us sing, we did, even when she grew so frail all she could manage was sitting on her porch and listening from there. We just sang even louder!
She passed in 1996, and Kevin and I didn’t go back there to sing for many years to come. We kept singing, just not there.
The same year she passed, I remember singing with Kevin when I was gigging with High Water. He was living and working in Jasper, Indiana, (and gigging with his own band)but would often come home on the weekends. We would do a few songs together between High Water sets.
Sometimes, on those same nights, Kevin would do a few songs solo; “Please Come to Boston” was a crowd favorite. Mine, too! Maybe I can talk him into doing it again?
At that time we were doing almost exclusively country music songs. One bluegrass song we did, though, was the Reno and Smiley classic “I Know You’re Married, But I Love You Still.” We learned it from Uncle Ronnie and family friend Raymond Barton.
(on the hill in the 80’s…Uncle Ronnie on the far left, at the mic…Raymond Barton, far right, with the high tenor )
Undoubtedly, Ronnie’s and Raymond’s harmonies drew us to “I Know You’re Married…” Their voices will always be with me. In fact, when I was compiling poetry for my 2005 book Monroe Country, I included one poem about their influence.
After Uncle Ronnie unexpectedly passed in 1994 from a heart attack, Kevin and I sang with Raymond Barton some. However, our voices never blended as well with his—as his and Ronnie’s did.
Boy, do I miss their singing!
Now, remember that in the 90’s, specifically ‘93 to ‘98, I was working on my playThe Old Home. I suspect writing about Bill Monroe was slowly drawing me closer to his music.
Having lived in the Monroe homestead as a boy, I was always aware of his story and legend. I remember at a tavern in Virginia in 1989—when I was 22 and homesick—asking the house band to play “Uncle Pen.”
I proudly told them I was from Rosine, Ky, home of Bill Monroe and Bluegrass music. They obliged, and I was able to feel a little closer to home.
I loved the song and still do, but at that time I could not play “Uncle Pen”—or sing it. I can’t remember the year I learned it, but I do remember Campbell Mercer coming to town in 2000 and initiating the Rosine Project!
I had finished The Old Home in 1998, so in 2001 I introduced myself to Mr. Mercer and told him about my play.
As I became heavily involved in the Rosine Project, I couldn’t help but go deeper into the music.
As did Kevin! And we began playing together more and more in public.
(at The Rosine Barn Jamboree in 2005)
In 2005 my first Monroe Country book came out. Kevin and I started doing shows around the state using the book to bring attention to Jerusalem Ridge and the Bill Monroe Foundation’s mission.
We had a huge supporting cast that graciously gave their time to make those shows a success. Two standout bands that travelled from far away to contribute were Mountain Rhythm (Georgia) and The Joe and Melanie Johnson Band (Alabama).
(at a Monroe Country show, ‘06-‘09)
By the time 2008 came around, I could play “Uncle Pen” and quite a few other Monroe songs and tunes. In addition, I had written and arranged a number of original bluegrass songs.
Kevin himself had become quite the guitar picker and singer and songwriter. Taken together, my brother and I had made enough music we were ready to try a recording project.
(recording at Kevin and Jennifer’s house)
We recorded all twelve tracks in different rooms throughout Kevin and Jennifer’s house in one-and-a-half days.
Mike Aiken engineered, mixed, and mastered our cd. He came up from Georgia with three-fourths of Mountain Rhythm: Kenneth Newell, Kevin Pace, and Robert Montgomery.
Those three put down the guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass tracks. Bluegrass Boy Mike Feagan drove up from Nashville to fiddle for us.
Other contributors were Campbell and Julie Mercer (mandolin and vocals) and Sarah Elizabeth (vocals).
(album cover from ‘08project, photo taken near the peak of Jerusalem Ridge by David Baerg, Kevin’s brother-in-law)
When it was all said and done, we had an album debut concert in the Community Center in Hartford, Ky. And we also played at a couple festivals in Georgia and Indiana.
We’ve been the Autry Brothers ever since. We still have cd’s, so we give some to The Rosine Barn Jamboree to sell and raise funds. We play there a couple times every year.
(at The Rosine Barn Jamboree, August, 2022, notice the Monroe prints )
I’m going to guess that when we take the stage at The Rosine Barn Jamboree next Friday, May 16, at 8 pm, we will have been singing together for close to forty years now.
Out of all the shows I’ve done and still do, I look forward to performing as one-half of the Autry Brothers most of all.
I pray we continue to make music for years to come, right on into our oldest age.
It wasn’t a good day for golf. How bad a day for golf was it? Well, my son Tanner and I were one of only two groups on the course. Everyone else was smart enough to stay home out of the rain and chill.
Part of it might have been that the old Lafayette golf course still had four holes closed due to recent flood damage.
But I hadn’t been in a golf cart on a golf course with my son since early 2021. That was the last time I played before Dr. Michael Abtahi at Vanderbilt Hospital put twelve titanium screws and two titanium rods in my neck June 10, 2021.
I hadn’t even so much as swung a club since that terrible experience. Until today! I took three swings at different spots along the course with Tanner’s driver. No pain!
Tanner thinks I’m ready to do more than just ride along like I did today. He thinks I’m ready for Augusta down in Georgia, at least Valhalla in Louisville. Lol!
I’m not, though. I don’t know if I ever will be. I’ll have to overcome the powerful grip of fear first.
Besides, I thoroughly enjoyed riding along, taking pictures, helping Tanner with his clubs, looking for lost golf balls, etc. In spite of the ugly weather, it was enjoyable, as it should be.
(from behind the 16th green)
We parked overlooking a beautiful 16th hole. It was a chilly 50 degrees and raining, but it was a good view.
As soon as we drove out onto the course in a cart, reality hit us. It hit me at least! Tanner was wearing shorts and never complained. Let’s see how he handles it when he’s almost 58 years old.
I believe it was hole #4 where we were accosted by four Canadian geese. I’m sure they were two breeding pairs with nests close by, though I wasn’t about to go searching and suffer their wrath.
Tanner didn’t keep his score today. He simply took one hole at a time, and since we had the course to ourselves, he hit lots of extra practice shots.
There was plenty of time for finding other folks’ lost golf balls (plenty of Tanner’s lost ones, too).
(Tanner watches his chip on #8)
I wish I had snapped a photo of hole #13, so you could see the condition it was left in by the hundred-year flood Kentucky endured a couple weeks ago.
The water sat there so long all the vegetation was killed and cover in mud. If I had taken a pic, you still couldn’t have smelled the stench of decay left behind when the flood waters finally receded.
Recovery will take some time. How long is anyone’s guess. Possibly next year. You never know, though. Mother Nature is a tough old bird!
As we were leaving, I stopped to snap a pic of the 18th green and clubhouse.
(Nice!)
And before we exited the resort, I had to take a picture of the Green Family Mansion, a bed-and-breakfast now.
And of course the old Falls of Rough mill and old iron bridge over Rough Creek.
I’m a sucker for history, and Falls of Rough has it. All the way back to 1795, I hear! The prominent founder, a Mr. Willis Green, had connections with famous Kentuckian and American Henry Clay (Hugh Ridenour, digitalcommons.wku.edu).
Some day I’ll come back to visit the mansion and mill and learn even more about the Green family. That was enough for now because Tanner and I were tired and hungry.
Despite the weather, it was a fantastic day. I’m glad my son asked me to go. Maybe the next time I’ll have my own golf bag, and maybe I’ll see how many holes I can handle.
And I picked the winner! Of course, I didn’t place a bet, or Sovereignty would have crossed the finish line dead last. Everyone probably makes this claim, but I really mean it when I say I’m prone to bad luck.
But seriously, the Derby is special to me, as it is for many folks, especially Kentuckians.
Whether Derby Day is spent in the infield, or in a private suite high above the track at Churchill Downs, or at someone’s Derby party two-hours from Louisville, it’s just a fun day.
I remember my late Aunt Fay taking me and my brother Kevin, and our cousins Sheila and Tammy, to the infield at Churchill in 1983. Sunny’s Halo won that year, but what I remember most was how rowdy and raucous it was.
I haven’t been back to the infield since. After that ‘83 experience, it was mostly Derby parties away from Churchill Downs every year.
That is, until my late Aunt Fay’s business partner invited some of the family to his Derby suite in 2018, the year Justify won. The day was rainy and dreary, but since the suite’s balcony was partially under shelter, the weather didn’t keep us from enjoying the experience.
(L to R, brother Kevin, Dad Kenny, and me)
Of course, the women enjoyed it, too! They got to play dress up for a whole day! One piece of advice I can pass along from them is…don’t wear heels! Unless you’re wealthy and can have a limo bring you close, you will walk and walk some more.
(Aunt Fay in wheelchair and L to R, Kevin’s wife Jennifer, sister Bobbi Jo, wife Stephanie and mom Sharon. Cousin Sheila took this pic, so you can’t see her, but trust me—she was as gussied up as the rest.)
I have other memories associated with the Derby as well, like from 1992 when Lil E. Tee won. My brother Kevin must have won a little on that race because shortly after that, when he acquired a new Beagle pup, he named her Lily.
Many, many Kentuckians and Americans in general have Derby stories and memories to share.
Kentucky is the Home of the Derby, the greatest horse race in the world, and Kentucky is the Home of Bluegrass music. Put Bluegrass and horse racing together, and what do you get?
“Molly and Tenbrooks”—aka “The Race Horse Song.”
The song is a fictionalized story about the very real, 1878, one-on-one, horse race between Ten Broeck, a male, Kentucky horse, and Mollie McCarthy, a mare from California.
The race was held at the Louisville Jockey Club, which today goes by a different name. Yeah, you guessed it—Churchill Downs.
Unlike the Derby, which is the second longest race of the Triple Crown at 1 and 1/4 mile(the Belmont Stakes is longest at 1 and 1/2 mile), the July 4, 1878, head-to-head match race was truly long at four miles. No, that was not a typo. (AppalachianMusicandCulture. mozart.radford.edu)
(Google Images)
Today’s 2025 Derby was rainy with a sloppy track. The 1878 match race was, too, possibly the reason why Ten Broeck beat Mollie McCarthy so handily.
How was the race fictionalized? The main difference is that in the song “Molly” runs so hard she dies at the end of the race. In reality, she lived several years beyond the race and foaled at least twice.
We probably will never know who wrote the song. Nor will we probably ever know the original version because it was too long ago and was passed along by word-of-mouth.
We do know it wasn’t recorded until 1929 by the Carver Boys. (Wikipedia)
As far as we know, Bill Monroe recorded it next in 1947, and his version is the preeminent one.
The Stanley Brothers recorded it in 1948, but their version didn’t catch on with the public as well as Monroe’s; in fact, “Molly and Tenbrooks” is today known as one of Monroe’s signature songs.
(Google Images)
Horses are not a “signature” part of my family, but we think very fondly of the Kentucky Derby.
Yesterday, the family was once again represented at Churchill Downs, this time for Kentucky Oaks Day. My daughter Kenlee and her fiancé Ben Hopper attended and made a fantastic day of it.
The Kentucky Oaks, a one and 1/8 mile filly race, has been going on as long as the Derby—since 1875. Oaks on Friday, Derby on Saturday. First Friday and Saturday of each May. Simply remarkable!
And fun! I’m already looking forward to the 152nd running of these two races.
Looking forward as well to picking with you or for you. Maybe a little “Molly and Tenbrooks”?
UPDATE: one week later. May 10, 2025.
Notice in that final sentence how I unintentionally used a word with a double meaning—“picking.” THIS is one small reason why I love words so much I became an English/Language Arts teacher.
I’m retired now, but that hasn’t changed my love of words.
Double meaning? Picking an instrument, in my case, a guitar. Picking a winner, in my case, Sovereign!!
To be sure, as the writer, if I’m not careful with my word choice, I might inadvertently confuse my readers. Yes, I’m criticizing myself here, mostly to caution myself.
Slow down! Proofread more!
When I wrote “…picking with you or for you…”, how was I using those two words “…for you…”?
I meant “picking for you”, as in performing for you or entertaining you. However, the reader might have thought I meant “picking for you”, as in choosing for you.
Some of you are reading this update and thinking—why be so anal about a word or two? Didn’t I already tell you I love words? What I didn’t tell you is that I also love you—the reader.
Without you I would have no reason to write. In other words, without you, writers wouldn’t exist.
What a powerful relationship we must have if my existence depends on you!
Therefore, as a writer, I have a keen desire to safeguard that relationship.
I don’t want to mislead you! I don’t want to confuse you!
I want to inform you! Entertain you! Uplift you!
I thank you for being one of my readers. You are my reason for writing.
May 2, 2025–what an awesome time at The Rosine Barn Jamboree!
The rain kept a few people away tonight, but, wow! They were itching to be entertained. Whether we’re playing for twenty or 200, the show is the same; however, with a crowd like that, you just can’t help pickin’ and singin’ a little louder.
Kenneth and Angie Newell played the 7pm slot and, along with Mike and Christi Fulkerson, put on a powerful, gospel show.
Most of their songs were originals written by Angie. She’s an excellent songwriter who probably averages a song per day. I wish I could do that!
Lately, Kenneth and Angie have been in the studio recording tracks for an album coming soon. Can’t wait to hear that!
At 8pm it was time for The Caney Creek Gang to perform. Of course, Kenneth Newell played with us, too, on mandolin.
Our lineup also included Larry Hill on banjo and Marty Hays on bass. We had this same lineup last year when we played the Barn. I have to say it’s a pretty darn good one.
We’re going to the Bill Monroe Homeplace tomorrow to film a few songs for my Notes of Blue YouTube channel. The channel doesn’t have any videos up yet, but that’s about to change.
Playing The Rosine Barn Jamboree is always a treat; I pray I have that opportunity for years to come.
As of right now, The Caney Creek Gang’s next gigs aren’t until July 11th at the Rough River Lodge and July 12 at Pickin’ on the Porch.
I hope some of you can attend one or both of those shows. Stay tuned for any new gigs that come up before then.
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
It was free. I joined. It’s official.
I’m not sure how I feel about this step, this development, this whatever, but it was recommended, so I joined. Easily could have been BMI, Broadcast Music, Inc.
Didn’t much matter to me. One is as good as the other, but when I was searching through their websites, I noticed Chris Stapleton was in ASCAP. Good enough for me.
Just so you know, anyone can join. ASCAP and BMI are not exclusive clubs.
ASCAP (800,000 members) and BMI (1.4 million members) are Performance Rights Organizations. When you create/publish/perform your song/tune, it’s considered intellectual property. These two PRO’s help protect the owner of that property—you!
There are other PRO’s, like SESAC, but these two are the primary ones and have been for decades.
I already said I wasn’t sure how I feel about joining. Writing has not been my career. Teaching students to be competent writers, yes. But the act of writing itself has been and obviously still is merely a hobby for me, probably therapy, too. It keeps me sane.
I write a little bit of everything, some to publish, most not. Newspaper columns. Editorials. Stage plays. Screenplays. Quite a few short stories. And lots and lots of poems and songs.
I remember writing my first song in 5th grade. “You Don’t Love Me Anymore.” Yep, my 5th grade girlfriend dumped me for another, and I wrote a song expressing my sorrow.
Laughable, right? Funny.
I don’t today have the lyrics to that song; they were lost along the way. But I can still hear the melody and a few words in my head.
I’ll never lose another song because I now keep them stored digitally on Google Docs. I also keep hard copies in a binder.
I suppose I shouldn’t say I’ll “never” lose another song because a song, or any other creative idea, can be lost in multiple ways. And, short or lengthy, it is most vulnerable in that time frame between when it is conceived in your brain and when it materializes, in one form or another, on a page.
I still lose ideas like this sometimes if I don’t make myself write something down immediately. The crazy part is that no matter how many times I do this, I tell myself it won’t happen again, only to let it do just that.
For me the most likely time for this to happen is in that twilight state your mind enters just before drifting off to sleep.
This “state of mind” is a calm, peaceful one you really don’t want to leave, so you tell yourself, “as soon as I wake up in the morning I’m going to write that down.”
But sure enough, you open your eyes the next morning, and all is lost except for the vague memory that you were supposed to write something down.
It’s maddening—just as a writer would be maddened if he or she created a novel, or a play, or a SONG and someone stole it. Whether to reverie or to a thief, it’s still undeniably and irrevocably lost!
Out of the 200 or so songs I’ve written, less than ten are perhaps worth stealing.
With this new Notes of Blue venture, I’ll be putting some of those two-hundred out there (already shared two in this blog, about to be three). That makes me both nervous and excited. More apprehensive than anything, though, because I don’t know where all this is leading.
It could all lead to failure, but that doesn’t scare me. My good friend Ron Whitehead wrote in his 2007 poem/anthem “I Will Not Bow Down”…
“I Pledge Allegiance to Failure to failing as no other dare fail…”
As they say, Ron hit the nail on the head! It’s been said by many that more is learned from failure than success, and I firmly believe it.
Success is scarier to me because then what? If you fail, you know what. It’s back to the drawing board; it’s back to starting over; it’s back to a process you’ve already been through.
But success? Where do you go from there? What’s the next step? Can you do it again? Can you keep up the good work? Pressure!
So there’s enough to worry about without the fear of losing your creative work to a thief. That’s why I joined ASCAP.
So here’s to sailing off into the great unknown! I hope you’ll stay with me on this journey. A big shout out to all who have taken the time to be encouraging or curious about this adventure. I can think of no better way to give thanks than with a song.
I wrote this one back in 2018. As I read it again and hear it in my head again, I can’t help but wonder—was this for that 5th grade girl? Did she come back to the boy? What do you think?
Once again, one of my kids does what I can’t. Oh, well, yeah, I can make a flyer. Don’t get me wrong.
Give me a piece of white paper, some markers, tape, scissors, glue, etc., and I can whip one up lickety-split. Old school!
I could even work one up using Microsoft Word. But again—old school!
No, today’s apps/software offer so much more creativity. Take Canva, for example. This is technology that I can appreciate even if I can’t use it.
I know someone is bound to point out that I could do it if I just tried it. Well, I did try it, and, no, I couldn’t do it.
What I will admit is this—if someone sat me down and gave me, say, an hour of instruction, I believe I could learn it.
Whereas the younger generation, they don’t need much, if any, instruction. It’s second nature to them. They jump right in and figure it out for themselves.
Just like I remember jumping into a Brother word processor in 1990-91 and figuring it out.
($1500–if only I had saved mine! )
Believe it or not, there is a Bluegrass connection to that old Brother word processor I eventually ditched for a real computer long ago.
See in 1993 I was still using it. That’s the year I woke up at 3am one morning with the idea for an entire full length play about the Monroe Homeplace. My wife Stephanie and I were living in Morgantown at the time.
I recall feverishly finding a Steno pad and a pen and going to the kitchen to sketch out the Acts and Scenes and a page full of notes.
I don’t remember if it was the very next day that I started typing the play’s text into that Brother word processor or not. But it wasn’t long.
So the first draft of The Old Homeplace was written on a piece of technology that served as a quick transition between typewriters and computers.
If I had known Bill Monroe would pass away in 1996, I would have worked urgently to finish the play so I could present it to him. But as fate would have it, I didn’t complete it until ‘98.
By the time the first act appeared in Monroe Country: Volume One in 2005, it had gone through probably two dozen drafts. Even more drafts for Acts Two and Three when they completed the play in Volume Two in ‘08—when Kenlee was still just ten years old.
Now here she is a grown, 26-year-old woman, showing her daddy a thing or two about technology. She happens to be a good writer, too. Wonderfully creative!
As you can see from the Rosine Autumn Jam flyer she created, we’ll have three bands this year—one more than last year.
I’m proud to say I’ve added The Country Beavers Band, probably the longest running band around our neck of the woods. Yes, correct me if I’m wrong. But seriously, just how many years have they been going strong?
The Jam is free, of course; however, if someone wanted to make a donation, it wouldn’t be shunned. These bands will be paid for their time and talent.
Last year I received small donations from Judge Executive David Johnston, 5th District Magistrate Larry Morphew, and Ohio County Tourism Director Jody Flener.
This year I’ll need more funds to pay the extra band. Anyone with ideas for raising or finding sources of funding, come see me or contact me right away. Please!
I wish to start adding unique activities to Rosine Autumn Jam each year as well. I’m considering a washer pitching tournament this year if I can find enough nail kegs, though I’m open to other ideas.
(pic sent by cousin Mike Autry showing keg dimensions)
If you are wondering what I had in mind when I started this event last year, go visit McHenry SummerFest this year June 21. They started small and have grown into a full day of all kinds of events, including a car show.
I think that would be the coolest! A car show in the Bill Monroe Museum parking lot!
That reminds me of another subject—Mr. Monroe’s old Cadillac from the 50’s still sitting in my parents’ barn. Yeah, the one experts have declared unrestorable.
A dream come true would be to one day see that car, or at least some part of it, restored and on display in a Rosine Autumn Jam car show.
If Rosine area folks come together on this, I’m sure we can build something to be proud of.
While we’re at it, let’s go ahead and start praying for good weather this year. Last year our second and last band Tailgate had barely begun their set when a storm put an end to the event.
I snapped the following photo when the rain had just begun. What came very shortly after was a deluge. I mean a gully washer! Thunder and lightning included!
Let’s hope Tailgate makes it through their set this year because they are an awesome band.
My band Rough Cut will lead off this year at 5pm, followed by The Country Beavers Band at 6:00. Tailgate will start at 7:30 and finish up at 9:00.
Concessions will be available again this year. Also, “again this year” a guitar will be given away free to one lucky attendee. Can’t win it if you aren’t there, though, so start making plans for October 4, 5-9:00pm.
I shared a little bit about Rough Cut a few days ago. I thought I ought to share the same about my other band, the Bluegrass band I’ve been in for six years now.
Kenneth Newell and I started The Caney Creek Gang in 2019. It was getting harder and harder to find bands to play The Rosine Barn Jamboree.
I’m not positive, but I believe we played there three times that first year we were a band.
Where did we get the band name? Well, I originally wanted to just be Caney Creek. I’ve spent a many days and nights fishing and hunting there.
There’s also a Bill Monroe connection: he wrote an instrumental called “Goin’ Up Caney.” I’ve often wondered if he had a history with Caney Creek himself. Was he a fisherman?
I soon discovered there was an established band in Ohio using the name, so for a brief moment I shifted to Caney Creek Ramblers.
It didn’t take long to remember there used to be a local band with that name. I’m pretty sure only one member of that band is still living. There is a display about them in the Bill Monroe Museum. Needless to say, I didn’t want to infringe upon their legacy.
So, I then started looking for another take on the same name. I searched a while before I settled on “Gang.”
It has turned out to be appropriate because we’ve had so many members. We are like a gang! I can’t even remember everyone who has played a gig with me and Kenneth.
But I’ll try: Kristy Westerfield, Collin Coots, Danny Duvall, Lisa Nall, Lukas Whitely, Logan Whitely, Mark Hargis, Chris Joslin, Joe Johnson, Grace Brocato, Mike Feagan, Shane Cothran, Brandon Fennell, Sam Stuckey, Larry Hill, Eric Spencer, Robert Montgomery, Steven Stewart, Keith Jackson, Jasper Beatty, Marty Hays, Mike Fulkerson, Christi Fulkerson, Kevin Bowlds, Shawn Whitely, and Derek Dillman.
What an outstanding bunch of musicians! From five states! Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and West Virginia.
I know I can speak for Kenneth when I say it’s been a privilege for us to play with each and every one. If I have left anyone out, it wasn’t intentional, and I apologize.
Anyhow, once we had bandmates and a band name, we had to decide on our appearance. Out of respect for Mr. Monroe, I wanted us to dress nicely.
One could write a book about this topic (you know I will at some point). It’s not necessarily controversial, but disagreement is definitely out there.
What we settled on is sort of a trade off. We wear jeans, white dress shirts, black/dark vests, and Stetson hats. And sometimes ties.
(at the Jerusalem Ridge Festival)
If we play on a Sunday, out of reverence for the Lord we replace the black vests with suit coats.
(at The Rosine Barn Jamboree)
There have actually been a few times we went away from this look and went casual. Like if we’re playing back-to-back days, we might dress down one of those days.
I also remember one hot, July Saturday when we ditched the black vests just to survive the heat. You could wring sweat out of those shirts!
(Pickin on the Porch at MonroeHomeplace)
The Caney Creek Gang is not a high-volume gig band. We play maybe a half-dozen gigs a year.
For 2025, we’ll play at the barn a couple times. We’ll play the Rough River Lodge. I think that same weekend we’ll play Pickin on the Porch at the Monroe Homeplace. Then we’ll play the Jerusalem Ridge Festival. And that’s it!
Of course, out of the blue another gig could come up, but we’re not out there pushing for gigs. We’re happy with what we do.
Oh, I almost forgot! I wanted to share one of our traditions with you. When each new bluegrasser plays a set with us, we initiate them after the show. We go to the curve bridge over Caney Creek, and they jump into the muddy water of Caney.
And we always invite audience members to come along and become honorary members by doing the same thing. So come and see us at The Rosine Barn Jamboree, Friday, May 2, 8pm, and after the show you, too, can become an honorary member.
Might want to bring a bathing suit or swimming trunks. See you soon!
