Industrial Strength Bluegrass

In the twentieth century, hundreds of thousands of migrants seeking economic opportunities relocated from the Appalachian region to southwestern Ohio. They brought mountain and gospel music with them, as well as an openness to new sounds that were emerging in mid-century. Without access to capital, formal instruction, or mainstream media attention, a core of devoted musicians and entrepreneurs built an unrivaled radio, recording, and performance infrastructure for bluegrass music. Between 1947 and 1989, important careers were launched and the distinct artistry of bluegrass made during those years in Cincinnati, Dayton, Middletown, Hamilton, Springfield and environs—an area of approximately 250 square miles—had a permanent influence on American roots music. This work explores the history of southwestern Ohio’s Appalachian migration and the subsequent proliferation of bluegrass musicians, radio broadcasters, recording studios, record labels, bars, festivals, and sacred music. It also explores how following generations built upon that base, how bluegrass reached non-Appalachian participants, how bluegrass was used in public education and community development, and how distinctive musical qualities of bluegrass that flourished in the southwestern Ohio region influenced the worldwide development of the genre. First-person narratives of key figures are included as well as analytical essays by academic and independent scholars, along with suggestions for further reading and listening.

She's A Country Girl All Right

Classically trained vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and 2017 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Rhiannon Giddens has in recent years enjoyed increased visibility in the contemporary country music world. In 2016, she was a featured singer on Eric Church's top-ten country hit, “Kill a Word,” and she won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass that same year. Giddens also had a recurring role as social worker Hanna Lee “Hallie” Jordan on the long-running musical drama Nashville in 2017 and 2018. While Giddens now enjoys a certain degree of acceptance in the country music world, she has not always felt included in the various largely white, contemporary American roots scenes. As such, she continues to speak out to audiences and the press about the erasure of African Americans from histories of string music, bluegrass, country, and other styles and forms of American roots music. Using Giddens's 2017 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) keynote, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops' music video for the song “Country Girl” from 2012's Leaving Eden, I demonstrate that Giddens effectively reclaims American old-time string music and country culture as black, subverting historically inaccurate racialized notions of country music authenticity.

Reaping the Harvest

Earl Scruggs was well positioned for renewed stardom when people’s thirst for American roots music took off in the 1990s. He had recovered from illness and gone off the road with his high-powered Earl Scruggs and Family and Friends band. Honors showered on him from governments and big-time nonprofits. His hometown of Shelby planned to make a shrine to Scruggs out of the old Cleveland County courthouse. Also taking up arms for Scruggs were acoustic stars such as Béla Fleck and Jerry Douglas's Flatt and Scruggs homage group, the Earls of Leicester. Warren Beatty honored Earl at a 2008 bash thrown for Beatty. Louise Scruggs died in 2006 and Earl in 2012. He was widely eulogized and remembered.