Preserving The Tradition of Bluegrass Into The Future

It’s pretty cool to be the son of an icon. When your dad was a pioneering figure in the evolution of a music genre, it’s not hard to come out of that without at least a little bit of inspiration. It’s almost impossible, perhaps, not to try yourself to pick up an instrument and do some pickin’ and strummin’. That’s exactly what happened to Ralph Stanley II, son of one of the patriarchs of the bluegrass sound. As the son of the late Dr. Ralph Stanley, he couldn’t resist learnin

Another Hall Of Fame For The Stanley Brothers With this spring’s announcement of a new class of honorees in Nashville, the Stanley Brothers took their place among legendary acts selected to both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Bluegrass Hall of fame. They were selected to the Bluegrass Hall’s second class of honorees in 1992. “Hailing from mountainous southwestern Virginia, the Stanley Brothers—Ralph and Carter—were a foundational act in Bluegrass whose music has influ

There's something deeply satisfying about a life that turns craft into a calling. For songwriter Rick Lang, that's precisely how faith found its shape—through wood, words, and work. Fulfilling a 52-year career in the hardwood lumber business, Lang has spent decades refining two trades that require equal measures of patience and reverence. Whether he's carefully planning Curly Hard Maple or shaping melody, the goal is the same: make something solid, true, and lasting. Lang d