The Foundation for Bluegrass Music will distribute $20,000 in funds to charitable public programs in 2011. These include youth-focused educational efforts, a film project and celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Bill Monroe — the “father of bluegrass music.” The six grant recipients were selected from among more than two-dozen applicants.
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The Lonesome River Band, whose latest Rural Rhythm Records release, Still Learning, was #1 on Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s top 15 albums chart in March, has added a new member. Randy Jones made his debut appearance with the band, on mandolin and vocals, during a March 19 concert in South Carolina.
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Carlton Haney, who launched the first multi-day bluegrass music festival with camping, the second prominent magazine focused on the genre, and served as a booking agent for Bill Monroe and others, died on March 16 at a hospital in Greensburg, North Carolina, following a stroke earlier in the month. He was 82.
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Dailey & Vincent were the top winners in the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA) 37th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards, taking home seven trophies, while Rhonda Vincent retained her title as Entertainer of the Year. Winners in 23 categories were announced during an awards show on February 6, 2011 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.
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