Tradition in Tune: Rebel Records Keeps it Tried and True

Mark Freeman remembers being six years old, standing in the Virginia summer heat outside County Sales, his family’s mail-order bluegrass music store. He wasn’t clutching a toy or looking for ice cream—he was watching Larry Sparks in a sky-blue suit and white shoes play a set in the gravel lot for maybe a hundred people.

“It was like an open house,” Freeman recalls. “But he showed up immaculate. I remember his hair, his suit—he looked like he was about to go on the Opry.” And Dave Evans? “Big guy. Big voice. He made an impression. When you’re that young, everything looks bigger, sounds bigger.”

That early imprint—that deep, personal connection to the music and the musicians—guides Freeman today as the head of Rebel Records. And in a time when music labels are less about heart and more about data, Rebel remains a rare breed: a record company that still leads with its gut. Founded in 1960 and still running strong over 60 years later, Rebel Records is a cornerstone of the bluegrass industry and a living museum of the genre’s soul. With Mark Freeman now steering the ship, once helmed by his father, Dave Freeman, Rebel is staying true to its roots without getting stuck in them.

“Some of the other bluegrass labels are startups—been around 10 or 20 years,” Freeman says. “We’ve been around for over 60. I’m fortunate that our catalog maybe keeps us afloat, so I can take more chances than maybe some other labels can.”

Freeman’s approach to artist selection is refreshingly personal. “It’s stuff that hits me right in the gut,” he explains. “Music that hits my soul. Hits my heart.” While other labels pivot hard toward streaming singles and market metrics, Freeman still believes in the full-length album. “We still sign artists to make full records—12, 13, 14 songs,” he says. “We usually put out a few singles before the album comes out, but we’re not just chasing one song. We’re building something.”

That something is a catalog that reads like the greatest hits of bluegrass history: Ralph Stanley, the Seldom Scene, Larry Sparks, Rhonda Vincent, and Del McCoury. Even today, as bluegrass morphs into new shapes, Freeman maintains a strong affinity for the traditional sound. “Some of the newer stuff, I just can’t get into,” he says. “And I’m not gonna sign something my heart’s not in. I’d be doing the artist a disservice.”

Still, Freeman’s ears aren’t closed to change. He’s fully aware of the cyclical nature of music. “Right now, it’s teetering,” he says of the genre’s direction. “Young groups are definitely more progressive and experimenting. But someone like Billy Strings—he’s that in-between. He’s got the jam band vibe, but his music is mostly traditional bluegrass. And when someone like that starts citing Larry Sparks and Dave Evans, we see the ripple effect. We've seen an uptick in our digital sales, especially for Larry Sparks. That means something.”

Freeman’s reverence for tradition doesn’t make him rigid—it just gives him a compass. “We’re a traditional bluegrass label,” he says. “That gives me a narrow focus. I know what I’m looking for: original, entertaining, traditional bluegrass. Yes, it’s tougher now to find groups that check all those boxes. But they’re out there. They’re still out there playing it—and bringing something original.”

Part of that discovery process has evolved, of course. Where once it might have been word of mouth and long nights on the road, now it’s often a trusted recommendation and a quick trip to YouTube. “A lot of groups come to us,” Freeman says. “Most of the time, it’s ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ But if someone I trust says, ‘Hey, you need to check this group out,’ I’ll listen. If I can find a live video or performance, I can usually tell if they’ve got that thing.”

What’s that “thing”? Freeman boils it down: “You want a group that gets people off their seats,” he says. “They just have that ‘something.’ That stage presence.” But talent alone isn’t enough. Personality matters, too. “I’m not a fan of pompousness or a cocky attitude,” he says. “For some labels, they’ll just deal with it. But for me, it plays a role. I’m lucky—I’ve never had to sign a group I’m not crazy about just because they’ll sell a lot.”

Freeman is most excited when he’s watching young talent find their audience. “That’s the joy I get—helping an artist grow, watching them take that next step,” he says. “If it makes money, that’s just the cherry on top.”

These days, Rebel is riding a wave of productivity. “Last year was quiet because many of our artists had just put out albums,” Freeman says. “But now, everyone’s sending stuff. It’s great. We just released a new record from Big Country Bluegrass today. Cody Norris has a new one coming. We’re busy.”

Freeman has a list of must-hears for those just discovering the label—or the genre. “Start with the best-ofs,” he says. “The Best of Ralph Stanley. The Best of Seldom Scene. The Best of Larry Sparks. Del McCoury. Rhonda Vincent. And for Gospel? Ralph Stanley’s Cry From the Cross. It was one of the first bluegrass gospel albums to do full a cappella. That was groundbreaking.”

Still, despite all the accolades, Rebel’s ethos is simple: stay true to the music, keep going, and,

“My dad used to say, treat the artist with respect, be honest with them. If you don’t, it’ll catch up with you,” Freeman says. “He didn’t say it all the time, but I saw it. We always paid our royalties. Always answered calls. That stuck with me.”

Rebel’s history may span decades, but its spirit remains youthful, guided by instinct, heritage, and a belief in the power of music to move people, whether in an arena or a dusty gravel lot in Floyd, Virginia.

Sometimes, all it takes to change your life is seeing a man in a sky-blue suit and white shoes showing everyone how it’s done.