'o Brother'! Bluegrass Is Blooming

"Every dog has its day, and the old bluegrass dog is having its day," bluegrass legend Del McCoury says of the genre's recent explosion into mainstream musical consciousness.
Once relegated primarily to the Southeastern U.S., the sounds of banjos, mandolins, fiddles, dobros, and acoustic guitars are now drawing a global audience. Much of the phenomenon can be attributed to the success of the Coen Brothers' film O Brother, Where Art Thou?-which spawned a multi-platinum soundtrack that has become a "must-own" CD among music aficionados.

But O Brother is just the beginning of the story. Beyond the soundtrack juggernaut, longtime bluegrass acts are seeing an increase in album sales and concert bookings. Attendance at bluegrass concerts and festivals is up, and the Down From the Mountain tour—featuring acts on the O Brother soundtrack—is doing a brisk business.

Meanwhile, bluegrass newcomers are bringing in a fresh new audience, and veteran country artists are rediscovering their mountain roots. Dolly Parton has aligned her Blue Eye imprint with Sugar Hill Records and has issued three successful projects of what she refers to as "blue mountain music." Patty Loveless generated acclaim with her recent Mountain Soul disc, and Ricky Skaggs re-entered the bluegrass fold a few years ago and is keeping alive the traditions of such heroes as Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers.

Among further evidence of the genre's booming popularity:

• The International Bluegrass Music Assn. (IBMA) is staffing up and planning a move from its longtime home in Owensboro, Ky., to Nashville in early 2003 to make the organization more accessible to its members.

• Bluegrass records are showing new strength at retail. In recent weeks, as many as eight bluegrass titles have appeared on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Based on this performance, in this issue, Billboard debuts a 15-position weekly Top Bluegrass Albums chart (see page 29).

• Bluegrass-flavored acts are finding homes on mainstream country labels, including Shannon Lawson on MCA Nashville and Bering Strait on Universal South.

• IBMA executive director Dan Hays says there are now more than 500 multi-day events featuring bluegrass music and "somewhere between 800 and 900 radio stations programming the music on average about six hours per week. That number [of hours per week] in the last six years has more than doubled."

One of the more unique features of bluegrass is that while such younger acts as Alison Krauss + Union Station and the Lonesome River Band are turning on a new generation of fans, the genre's pioneers continue to sell albums and concert tickets. Ralph Stanley's eponymous new CD debuted at No. 22 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in the June 29 issue. And earlier this year, the 75-year-old Stanley beat out several performers who regularly have hits at country radio to win the 2001 Grammy Award for best male country vocal performance for the song "O Death."

Hays calls it "a golden era for the music that is unique for any musical genre. We still have some of the pioneers like Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, and the Osborne Brothers who are headlining shows. These are not acts relegated to third-tier status."

WSM-AM Nashville air personality Eddie Stubbs says, "The fans embrace all genres of the professional performers. People like Earl and Ralph are held in the highest reverence. This is something country radio could learn from. It's one thing bluegrass has always been great at. There is room for all the performers at the table."

DEFINING BLUEGRASS

Just what is and isn't bluegrass is a thorny question that is open to many different interpretations. While the O Brother soundtrack contains such bluegrass cuts as the single "Man of Constant Sorrow," it is not exclusively a bluegrass album. And while some enthusiasts point to young acts like Nickel Creek as the future of the genre, purists join that band in insisting they are not a bluegrass act (see story, page 85).

Rooted in gospel and old-time mountain music, bluegrass originated with the work of Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys band—which, in the words of Rounder Records co-founder Ken Irwin, "put all the pieces together."

But even the music's stars are hard-pressed to define it. Skaggs calls it "passionate music. Music about mountain people. It's really the heart and soul of country music." But he has an easier time describing what bluegrass is not. "It's not the belly ring, the pretty face, or the implants," he says.

Even the music's forefathers had a hard time providing a definition. Skaggs says, "Ralph Stanley always said, 'Bill Monroe is bluegrass; the Stanley Brothers is mountain music.' At that point," Skaggs says of the finely drawn distinction, "we're picking a fly out of pepper."

While Parton's first Blue Eye/Sugar Hill effort, The Grass Is Blue, won album of the year honors at the IBMA awards in 2000, as well as the Grammy Award for best bluegrass album, Parton refers to what she is doing now as her own brand of "blue mountain music. It's certainly got elements and flavors of bluegrass, but it's just simple, acoustic stuff," she says.

GROWTH OF THE GENRE

Regardless of terminology, Skaggs thinks the new interest in the genre is a positive development. "The soundtrack to O Brother has done much to open doors, but it was starting to break even a few years before that," he says of the music's popularity. Referring to Parton, Loveless, and himself, Skaggs says: "It's a cool thing to see more people having a desire to play the music that's in their heart after years and years of worrying about what's on the radio."

IBMA's Hays calls O Brother's success "the icing on the cake," but notes: "The success we're seeing has been 10-15 years, at least, in the making."

Rounder's Irwin agrees. "It's not an overnight occurrence. The interest and quality have been building, and there has been a number of really strong acts developing."

Skaggs believes Monroe's death in 1996 helped start the genre's rapid growth. "With Bill Monroe's death, it was like the bluegrass music seed falling into the ground and growing," he says. "It really has a deep root now and has borne a whole lot of fruit."

If that is true, then Skaggs' label, Skaggs Family Records, is in a great position to capitalize on it, thanks to a joint-venture deal forged last year with Disney's Lyric Street Records. As for the rest of Music City, Skaggs says: "The record companies in Nashville are still in denial that O Brother was a viable piece of music and has any validity. The people are the ones who are speaking. They are buying the records."

Hays calls the launch of the new Billboard bluegrass chart "one of the more significant business developments in our music in the last 20 years. Since IBMA was created in the mid-'80s, it's something that has been on our priority list since day one."

WSM's Stubbs says, "I didn't think I'd ever see a day come that bluegrass music would have its own chart in Billboard. But it's a tremendous feat for the music, for the fans, and for the performers who have worked so hard."

Stubbs is a bluegrass historian, fiddler, and former member of the Johnson Mountain Boys, which recorded 11 albums for Rounder in the '80s and '90s. He notes, "In the '80s, if you sold 10,000 copies of an album in bluegrass, you had a hit on your hands. That's not 10,000 in a year's time—that's over the life of the album. To show you how much times have changed, Nickel Creek sold 9,700 units of product in one week." (The band sold as much as approximately 22,000 copies in one week last December, according to Nielsen SoundScan.)

"O Brother has really opened a lot of people's eyes to the large number of people who like this music," Irwin says. "We had seen the Simmons Research figures [about the popularity of bluegrass], and everybody doubted [them]. We wondered, 'How could this many people like bluegrass and the sales be so small?' Part of it was people had no way to hear or see the music.

"In the past, a lot of stores didn't even have bluegrass sections, or if they did, there was nobody in the store who knew anything about it," Irwin continues. "That has certainly changed. A lot of stores are expanding their sections."

Retailer Brian Smith, VP of store operations for Value Music Concepts in Marietta, Ga., says: "It would be naïve to say that the O Brother explosion didn't open people's eyes to what many already knew—that bluegrass is great music. It's really a shame that it took a movie soundtrack to wake people up, but as a retailer and a fan of bluegrass, I'm glad it did. We have seen a huge increase in overall sales of the genre and have increased the overall selection in our stores as a result.

"At a time when sales really were hurting, O Brother came along and gave the country a much-needed kick in the pants," Smith adds. "It's time some of the veteran bluegrass groups and artists get their due."

Rhonda Vincent, the reigning IBMA entertainer of the year, believes bluegrass has been helped along by the Internet. "With the Internet, people are no longer dependent upon what a consultant tells [radio] to play," she says. "Now they are going online in the privacy of their home or office and finding whatever music they want. They are seeking out acoustic and bluegrass music. We are seeing it in the sales. We're seeing it in the shows."

Another sign of the growth Vincent is seeing is in the way acts are touring. "Bluegrass used to be seasonal music, and now we're playing year-round," she says. "In January, our first six shows were sold out, and they [were] turning 200-plus people away. It was amazing, and it's not like preaching to the choir. These weren't bluegrass people. Most of these were people who had never been to a show before, but because of the great press, people said: 'I saw this in the paper. I wanted to come and see what it's all about.' Not only do they come and like the show, they are also taking home three or four CDs with them."

"We've been busy for years now," says Del McCoury, patriarch of the band that bears his name. "We've had more work than we could handle, but [O Brother] has really exploded everything. It helps the whole picture of bluegrass.

"This is a great art form. It's not just a flash in the pan," adds McCoury, whose career in bluegrass began in 1950.

Sugar Hill Records GM Bev Paul says the acts on the Down From the Mountain tour and those playing the festival circuit are reaping the biggest rewards right now. "The whole festival scene is a great example of how [performing live] makes a difference," she says. "The trickle down is happening, but it's happening for folks who are out there doing the work an artist has to do to make a living and get exposed to audiences."

MEDIA EXPOSURE

Tim Petersen, country music buyer at Trans World Entertainment, says media has played a big part in the bluegrass boom. "People don't know what they're missing until someone finally tells them, 'Hey look what you're missing,' and they get to hear it."

Music-video network CMT is among the media that has been surprisingly supportive of bluegrass, working bluegrass videos into the regular mix, telecasting a Bluegrass Rules weekend in February, and recently incorporating a Red, White and Bluegrass weekend of special programming. CMT VP of music programming and talent relations Chris Parr says, "It's a great flavor to have in our mix, [and] it's a little unique to CMT, because we [don't] really expect people to be hearing it on their radio station."

After the Bluegrass Rules weekend, Parr says, "That's when we looked up and said, 'We can get some ratings with this.' " The network expected some interest, Parr says, but "the numbers came back in, and it was huge. That weekend did bigger ratings than a Garth [Brooks] weekend we had on the channel. That really put it in perspective."

Now, Parr says, "we are actively looking for things that can continue the success we've had with the bluegrass [programming]."

Still, Parr says he empathizes with the bluegrass community, which may suddenly feel pressured to make expensive videos to garner CMT exposure. "They are making albums for very small budgets," he says. "They can probably make two albums for what some of the videos cost." And while he says videos don't need to be expensive to get played, he notes that Rounder having "invested heavily in Alison Krauss visually has paid off."

THE MUSIC'S APPEAL

Pinning down the music's appeal is easier than trying to define it. Most cite its genuineness, its simplicity, its relatable lyrics, and its stellar musicianship.

"Part of the [appeal] is that the music is real," Irwin says. "Contrast that with what's happening with other forms of country music, and you can see why people are becoming so drawn to bluegrass. It's a time when people are getting a little tired of prepackaged music and artists and are looking for something that appeals to them."

"People are so frustrated with the state of pop music right now," Nickel Creek's Chris Thile says. "When mainstream sucks as bad as it does now, people just have to go look for something else or just completely stop listening to music altogether, and that's not a very good option. People get excited when they find something new. I also just think things come around, and it may be time for bluegrass to have a little fun."

Irwin says, "Since Sept. 11, people are really stopping to think about what is real. A lot of people are realizing that traditional values are important to them, and that's what bluegrass music is about. A lot of people are longing for simpler times. Even though bluegrass is not an easy music to play, it feels simpler. You don't have the pulsating drums. The lyrics are, for the most part, pretty straightforward and relatable. There's a strong spiritual side to bluegrass that people are relating to."

Paul agrees that "after Sept. 11, people wanted something they could embrace musically. Music is a great healer and very comforting to people. I listened to a lot of acoustic music for weeks after that happened, just because it was something I could hang on to and sing along to, and the words are meaningful. I think the tones and sounds really do touch your soul, but on the other hand, it's still a lot of fun . . . And the level of musicianship in bluegrass is astounding."

Stubbs says, "People are starved for substance, but they don't know it because they haven't had a chance to experience it. Once they get a taste of how great bluegrass is, it's like a fine dessert they've never experienced before."

Parton says, "People enjoy it because there's so much loud stuff in this world from television, videos, and movies. With the electric instruments and all, I really think people love the simplicity of letting their ears take a rest and letting the music kind of seep into their ears, then on down into their souls and hearts. You can really appreciate the quality of the voice, because the music's not so loud. There's just beautiful sounds. There's nothing more beautiful than acoustic instruments and a voice singing along with that.

"When I'm onstage and I can really hear all the instruments playing, you almost get a buzz going. It's almost like a religious experience when all those beautiful sounds mesh together. It's unbelievable the thrill you can get.

"I believe people really are longing for simple stuff," Parton continues. "We are so high-tech, which is great—you can't stop progress, and who would want to? But in a way, it's almost like we're so high-tech that I believe there's a longing in the human spirit—whether you know it or not—to have something simple. People love the simplicity of thinking there's still dirt out there. There's still farms out there. There's still simple people. There's still things to feel and see. I think it's people's need to hang on to simple things in this crazy, wild, rushing world these days."

Paul says another factor behind the popularity of bluegrass is its participatory nature. "You can actually sing along to it," she says. "People feel like they can pick up an instrument and play it themselves. They don't need to buy amps and cords and all kinds of equipment to play along."

A NEW PROFESSIONALISM

As the bluegrass music industry continues to grow, one factor that is helping the genre move forward is an increased professionalism among its practitioners. Though still primarily a do-it-yourself kind of industry, many top names in bluegrass now have a team of people aiding their career efforts. For example, McCoury has a manager (Stan Strickland) and booking agent (Bobby Cudd at Monterey Artists) and, as an artist on Skaggs' Ceili Music label, there's a staff to support his music.

While that's the norm in other genres of music, it wasn't always the case for artists like McCoury. "Before, we could hardly afford a team to do things," he says. "Bands usually do everything. Before, I tried to do my own booking. I did my own producing for years, my own recording and mixing. It's hard for one person to do that and then do your own promotion and publicity. You just can't do it all. For me and my band, the thing we do best is onstage. We have a good team who does all that other stuff now, but a lot of bands haven't been able to afford that. Maybe now with this popularity, they can."

Irwin says that professionalism among bluegrass acts is also translating to "the way they dress or having livelier, more entertaining shows. There really has been a lot of development in that area."

That new professionalism is attracting the notice of corporate America. Hays is seeing such companies as Pizza Hut sponsoring bluegrass performances, and the music is being used in advertising campaigns for everything from wireless phones to insurance. Vincent has a sponsorship deal with Martha White Foods and travels in the Martha White tour bus. Well-known for its flour, corn bread, and muffin mixes, Martha White has had a long relationship with the bluegrass community, having previously sponsored other bluegrass and country notables, including Lester Flatt, Alison Krauss, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Martha White is also the longest-running sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry.

The company has placed Vincent's image on 19 million packages of blueberry muffins nationwide. "That was a surprise Martha White brought to me," Vincent says. "I figure there's 19 million of them—if 1 million people see those and go out and buy a CD, I'll have a million-selling CD."

Becky Brandt, a marketing manager for Martha White, says that in addition to the exposure Vincent is getting, the company utilizes other artists as well. "It's called 'Legends of American Music,' " Brandt says of the campaign. "We have Earl Scruggs on the cornmeal mix, and Marty Stuart is on the self-rising flour."

Brandt anticipates other companies forging alliances with bluegrass artists. "O Brother really catapulted bluegrass into the mainstream," she observes. "It's traditionally been more of a Southern thing . . . but it's becoming more well-known and more popular, so I can see it growing."

Vincent also sees other corporate opportunities opening up for bluegrass acts. "It used to be that these doors were closed for bluegrass artists. It wasn't even within the realm of possibility," she says. "Now those doors are open. That's the exciting thing. I just see it growing more and more."

'CAUTION' IS THE WATCHWORD

The new, much higher profile for bluegrass music is viewed in the community as mostly good. Still, the bluegrass music industry is just a bit wary of this newfound success, because quick growth for the country format in the late '80s and early '90s is what began its slippery slide in the direction of mass-appeal, watered-down music.

Hays says the industry is being "very protective of letting the music be the music [and] letting that authenticity of the music work its own magic rather than trying to dissect it, taste-test it, and focus-group it to death. 'Caution' is the watchword," he says. "We want to make sure that while we're elevating the professionalism of bluegrass, we're guarding the integrity of it."

Irwin says, "There are many people who are concerned about potential changes to the music, where artists might take elements of it and dilute [it]. Others think if the music remains stagnant, it won't survive."

CMT's Parr admits, "A lot of hardcore bluegrassers will look at us and say: 'They're bastardizing bluegrass or not really playing bluegrass.' "

"I'm a little bit on the cynical side of the whole bluegrass explosion right now," Nickel Creek's Thile says. "I don't know how lasting it's going to be if the bluegrass community itself isn't more accepting of the new people that are interested in it and aren't more open-minded [about] the areas that bluegrass music can expand into.

"We go to these bluegrass conventions, and everybody talks about how we need to get young people into the music and how we need to expand the audience and increase awareness, and yet if somebody gets into bluegrass, and a band like Hootie & the Blowfish goes to MerleFest or something like that, they get scathed by all the bluegrass critics. But all the fans who come to see Hootie might very possibly stay and hear people like Del McCoury or Alison [Krauss].

"Some bluegrass fans feel like they're being invaded," Thile continues. "That attitude, I catch it all the time. When we play a more traditional bluegrass festival where we bring our fan base to see us, we have people coming up to us all the time, saying things like, 'You guys really need to play more bluegrass' or with disapproving tones [saying], 'You guys sure brought a lot of young punk kids with you.' That kind of attitude is going to kill this movement off very quickly. It's an exciting kind of music, but it's strange that people get so protective of it. It's a little depressing to me. I don't want to be a downer because it's so up right now and people are so excited about it, but it seems to me like the people on the inside of the music are not doing their part."