Bluegrass

Bobby Osborne is the mandolin/guitarist who teamed with his brother to form one of the most beloved duets in bluegrass music history.  The Osborne Brothers recorded several key songs for bluegrass including “Ruby” in 1953 and “Rocky Top” in 1967.  Bobby also recorded with other musicians and appeared on the Grand Ole Opry in 1963.  After his brother, Sonny, retired from music, Bobby continued to record and make personal appearances around the world.  

Jeri Palumbo grew up in a very musical family. Like many of her relatives she is a multi-instrumentalist. She developed strong orchestration skills and played in several bands ranging from classical to rock. When she was hired as a music arranger on an indie record, she was introduced to the first Fairlight and knew she wanted to have a career that embedded that type of technology. Over the years she became a studio engineer, live sound mixer and RF Tech for several sporting events including The Rose Bowl, NASCAR, NFL and others.  Whenever Jeri can bring her many passions together

Earl Scruggs was the father of bluegrass and country banjo playing. His style and techniques have been both influential and inspiring for generations of banjo players around the world. His easy-going personality endured thousands of music students who would often receive a lesson when they approached him with a question. With his guitar-playing partner, Lester Flatts, the duo made music history with a string of important recordings –including the theme for the 1960s TV sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies.”  

Curly Seckler was a pioneer in the development of Bluegrass music. He began performing professionally in 1935, on a daily radio program on WSTP in Salisbury, NC.  After the breakup of the Monroe Brothers act, Curly was the first tenor singer selected by Charlie Monroe for his Kentucky Pardners band in 1939. He was also the tenor singer with Flatt & Scruggs for twelve years, during their most creative period, and can be heard on nearly all of their greatest hits.

Rick Shubb has always been fascinated with bluegrass music and its instruments. He has recorded and performed often playing his five-string banjo. He grew up in the Berkeley area and met many performers including the members of the Warlocks that would later become the Grateful Dead. Rick designed many of the band’s concert posters, as well as work for other performers in the area. Later he designed a banjo capo and then a guitar capo, which launched the Shubb Capo business in the early 1980s.  

George Shuffler was the country and bluegrass guitar player who is credited for a three figure cross-picking playing style (down two strings, up one) that he created out of necessity.

Ricky Skaggs is the internationally known Country Music performer and Bluegrass mandolin player who sat in front of our cameras to discuss his passion for Pro-Audio gear. Ricky covered his early career in music, his early performances and influence from Bluegrass founder and personal hero, Bill Monroe. However, most of the interview, which took place in a Nashville recording studio, covered Ricky’s vast knowledge of microphones, mixing boards and speakers. His passion for the music products industry appears equal to his passion for music making. 

Mary Ellen Sorci was destined for a life filled with music, growing up in a household where her parents’ love for the craft set the tone. Her mother, a skilled violinist, and her father, a woodwind player and bandleader, instilled in Mary Ellen a deep appreciation for music. By her teenage years, she owned her own Martin guitar and found joy creating her own music. This passion eventually led to the founding of Foggy Mountain Music in 1975, housed in a building her mother owned in Grass Valley, California. Over the years, the store became the heart of the local music scene, a plac

Harry Sparks was the founder of the Famous Old Time Music Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up during the folk and bluegrass era of the 1960s and joined a band at a young age. Over the years, he began repairing instruments—first for his bandmates and friends—which eventually led him to open his own store. For some time, Harry made his own line of banjos, modeled after the vintage instruments of the 1920s and 30s. He studied architecture in college and built a career in that field while always keeping a hand in music.

Rick Stanley loved playing guitar while his father played fiddle. Rick wound up learning just about every fiddle song ever written, especially Bluegrass songs. When he was 15 he wrote his first song, “Home in the Mountains” which was recorded by his cousin Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. That 1976 recording featured a young Keith Whitley. The success of the song encouraged Rick to keep writing, which he continues to do with his wife Donna Ulisse. The couple formed the Little House Songwriting Workshop to assist other songwriters in developing their skills.

Ralph Stanley was best known for his featured songs in the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou," although his career began in the 1930s. He sang in church with his family and later hit the road with a small group to bring their unique style of country music to the world.  He appeared on radio and later records to the delight of his growing fan base.

Marty Stuart grew up in the small town of Philadelphia, Mississippi surrounded by country music, which he taught himself to play on a family guitar when he was 12 years old. Marty soon learned the mandolin and began writing songs for local dances and school events. During his NAMM interview he spoke about the importance of having access to a local music store to purchase strings, strum his dream guitar, and take lessons. As his career developed and he became a popular country artist and songwriter, Marty continued to seek out local music stores to learn about new products.

Donna Ulisse has fond memories of her grandmother teaching her to sing at a young age. And that is all Donna wanted to do! As her career developed, she was encouraged by many in the music industry that she came to know, in particular, Ray Edenton and Chip Young. Early in her career she also met David Briggs who not only mentored her but became a close personal friend. Donna became involved with Bluegrass music and soon gained a following, which led to her appearing at Bluegrass Festivals and events all around the country.

John Walker’s career in music all began with guitar lessons at six years old. This lesson studio’s focus was on ensemble performance, which allowed John to start playing gigs at 11 years old. He furthered this passion by owning his own music club at age 26 and eventually ending up in Nashville producing records. John helped create Music City Roots, a weekly radio program out of Franklin, TN that offers live performances of a wide range of roots, folk and Americana music.

Roland White played the mandolin as far back as he could remember. Influenced by the Bluegrass and Country Music he heard as a boy, Roland created his own unique style, which has been a major influence on generations of musicians and students. Roland was interested in the methods and techniques of playing mandolin, yet soon developed his own approach to explaining and teaching the instrument to both beginners and seasoned veterans. With a series of method books, he became an expert on teaching not only the mandolin but other stringed instruments including the guitar and banjo.

Larry Wines grew up in Hawaii, where being the only Caucasian student in his class gave him a unique, immersive exposure to diverse cultures. He learned traditional dances and folk songs from his classmates, shaping an early appreciation for the way music connects people. As an adult, he was drawn to the Folk Music revival, inspired by Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Jessye Norman—artists whose songs carried deep social and historical meaning. Larry began writing about music, first privately, then as a political columnist and author.

 Mac Wiseman joined the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1946, the same year the legendary bluegrass band was formed.  The groups two founders, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, formed their own group after performing and recording with the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe.  When the Foggy Mountain Boys began recording, Mac played guitar.  In later years he also sang with the group, but it wasn’t until he branched out on his own did he become known as the “voice with a heart.”  Mac released a string of hit songs and classic roots and country albums beginning in the 1950s.  It was during that s

Terry Woodward is a founder of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in Owensboro, Kentucky. He worked long and hard on the project, which resulted in the grand opening of a beautiful museum and concert hall in 2017. His career in music really began in 1949 when his father opened his first record store called Wax Works. Terry began working part-time in 1952 and by 1968 was working full-time in the business that kept expanding by opening new locations. Terry started his own chain of record stores that took advantage of the shopping mall boom of the 1970s called Disc Jockey. By the time he sol

Bailey Zahurancik was introduced to the world of Bluegrass at an early age, thanks to her uncle, a passionate fan of the genre who gifted her a fiddle when she was just two years old. As Bailey grew, so did her musical prowess and her deep-seated passion for creating music. She attended performing arts schools for both junior and senior high, where she received classical training that further honed her skills. Touring with a fiddle troupe, Bailey developed a unique sound by blending various musical styles, a sound that seamlessly integrated into the group her friends had formed, T