Bluegrass Planet Radio

WILDFIRE was formed in 2000 and quickly became one of the most talked about groups in the bluegrass music industry. The band has many years of musical and performance experience, with Robert Hale on lead vocals and guitar, Curt Chapman on bass, and Johnny Lewis on banjo. Newest band members include established mandolin player and vocalist, Chris Davis along with accomplished fiddle player and vocalist, Greg Luck.  By mixing their original songs and telling ballads, their complete dedication and love for their music, and their artistic spontaneity, Wildfire takes listeners on a journey that will spur emotion and excitement. They promise a powerful show that will please everyone from traditional bluegrass lovers to the contemporary young fans of today.

Joe Mullins is a southwestern Ohio native who has been a recognizable banjo player, vocalist, and radio broadcaster for 30 years. Mullins toured and recorded as a founding member of the band The Traditional Grass until 1995, when he purchased WBZI Radio in Xenia, Ohio. Mullins recorded and performed with the band Longview, earning Song of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year awards from the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) in the late 1990’s. He was honored by winning an Instrumental Recording of the Year award in 2001 from the IBMA for his banjo work on Rebel Records’ Knee Deep In Bluegrass. Mullins was also one of many artists in 2006 sharing Album of the Year honors for Celebration of Life, on SkaggsFamily Records. Mullins owns an Ohio network of radio stations, adding three other stations over the past decade. Most weekdays he is on the air from 1 until 3PM featuring Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel music on all four stations and webcasting at www.myclassiccountry.com. He was a 2010 SPBGMA nominee for Broadcaster and Promoter of the Year and WBZI was nominated for Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year. He is SPBGMA’s 2011 SPBGMA Broadcaster of the Year.

Bluegrass crowd-pleasers, Carolina Road recently released their self-titled cd, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, their highly anticipated album with Pinecastle Records.  Their previous release, Back To My Roots, achieved commercial and critical success, charting on Bluegrass Music Profiles TOP 30 SINGLES, and TOP 10 ALBUM Chart and reaching #1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Charts.

 

The band’s distinct sound and old time flair can be attributed to the bluegrass-rich area of North Carolina from which they hail and borrow their name.  As the founding member and band leader for Carolina Road, Lorraine Jordan’s showmanship and chemistry with the audience makes the group one of the most popular bands among bluegrass fans today. Lorraine, who has garnered two IBMA Awards, has fronted Carolina Road for over a decade and has eleven national recordings to her credit.  The band has earned a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in bluegrass. Carolina Road plays worldwide and headlines two National  Blue Grass festivals, Christmas in the Smokies and Cherokee.  They have  hosted the Canadian Bluegrass Awards, toured Europe  and played twelve Blue Grass cruises.  Carolina Road’s performance is a traditional sound with a fresh approach which includes invigorating instrumentals, smooth blending vocals, and all the energy that you can stand.

As a founding member of IIIRD TYME OUT, Russell has seen the group expand, and evolve, from where it started to where it has risen today. Originally from Pasadena, Texas (true home state of the ‘Whataburger’!!), he now lives near the foothills of the north Georgia mountains. Russell, born December 21, 1963, began playing music around the age of eleven after being inspired by bluegrass greats ‘The Osborne Brothers’, and joined a regional band at the age of fifteen, playing concerts and festivals in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. Around 1982, he moved to Arlington, Texas, and helped form the bluegrass band ‘Southern Connection’. After almost two years of living in Arlington, the ‘band’ moved east and settled in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1985, Russell went to work for the bluegrass band Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. After six years, and seven recordings with Quicksilver, Russell left to help form IIIRD TYME OUT in 1991. Russell has been awarded several ‘Male Vocalist’ awards to date—five of the most prestigious being the coveted ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 1994, 1997, 2010, 2011 & 2012. 

Glory On The Floor is a country/folk duo from Asheville, NC featuring songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Adam Smith and his dynamite touring partner Kim France.   They are gearing up to release their debut album “Asheville Skyline” in the fall; the album was written, recorded, engineered, and produced by Brian Adam Smith and mastered by Grammy Award winning producer Steven Heller.   Glory On The Floor is already making waves with their live performances. They were honored to open for 4-time Grammy Award winner David Holt on a special July 4th performance and performed at FloydFest 11, 2012. As they await the release of “Asheville Skyline”, they will be producing an array of music videos from the stunning and quirky mind of Brian Adam Smith.