The Forward Roll
Marlene Twitty-Fargo: A True Country Queen
If you've ever thought that the words to classic roots songs didn't quite fit with the melodies, you should give a listen to Marlene Twitty-Fargo's versions. According to her, they're actually the originals -- she was just ripped off by the stars.
Bluegrass Pride: A Moral and Ethical Imperative
I am sixty-nine years old. White, blonde hair (before it turned gray) and blue eyes. I was a CBA board member for twelve years and during ten of them I served as the Association’s chairman. So, you put all that together and add a big dash of declining lucidity and what do you have? The oft-lamented, perfectly stereotypical old white fart who makes decisions that are completely out of touch with the current social scene and who is utterly unwilling to listen to the modern and vital current generation… the movers and the shakers.
Father's Day Festival Wrap-Up
Well we're all back home from a wonderful week at Grass Valley, and already missing the hot days, long nights, cold showers, and tight harmonies. I don't know about you, but I just feel so grateful to be part of such a large community of generous, compassionate, and supportive people. How lucky am I that I got to spend the last week playing hours of music each day with my friends, old and new, improving on my skills and taking risks and being lifted up by this extraordinary bluegrass family.
Melody Walker: Born and Raised a Wild SF Woman
As a native Californian, but also a native bluegrass and folk musician, I am so proud that the California Bluegrass Association is leading the way in celebrating inclusivity in the realm of roots music... It just makes me extra proud to finally be participating and carrying on a family tradition of love and activism through my passion of music.
Country Queers: A Multimedia History of Rural LGBT Folk
“I identify as a country queer, and… I think because it – it took me a long time to get here, as I’m sure it does for many people, of melding, or finding the balance, or – marriage [laughs] – between those two things. Because they’re not always something that we’re taught or told or validated, that they can co-exist. And they can.” – Twig Delujé, 31. Pecos, NM – July 8, 2014