LaSaundra Brown of WBIR spoke with Ms. Cooper and her caregiver, Margaret Akins, for a piece designed to answer the question, “Whatever happened to Wilma Lee Cooper?” It includes a brief overview of her career, and nicely captures the feisty spirit that propelled Cooper to knock down barriers for female artists in country music, allowing for the opportunities that some of today’s ladies in the biz may take for granted.

Letterman has dubbed this week as Country Music Week on The Late Show, with musical performances each night from prominent Nashville entertainers. Stanley will close out this theme week talking about his very personal book, written with Eddie Dean. It covers Ralph’s life from early childhood with his brother, Carter, through their time together as The Stanley Brothers, and his own musical career after Carter’s passing in 1966.

We’ll have more to say about this deeply moving autobiography soon.

The Late Show airs on CBS television at 11:35 p.m. (ET/PT).

UPDATE 10:30 a.m. – We just got an update from Norma Morris, of Morris Public Relations, who handles publicity for Ralph Stanley:

“Letterman will mention the book, open it up and make some comments, but Ralph will not have the opportunity to sit down and discuss it. So he will perform one song, Room at the Top of the Stairs. The Letterman people have been just great.”

The race starts at 1:30 p.m. (EDT), and they are scheduled to sing at roughly 1:25. Coverage is on ABC television.

We’ll post any other photos as soon as we get them.

But the performances made all the waiting around worthwhile. There was a lot of music on the show that wasn’t bluegrass (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, the amazing Irma Thomas, and the emcee, actress Minnie Driver), so I won’t talk about that here. Suffice to say it will be well worth tuning in to the PBS special when it airs in March 2010.

Of bluegrass interest was Bela Fleck, who played a couple solo pieces. The one he played on the cello banjo was really cool. It was some music that he learned in Tanzania and Mali on the trip to Africa that resulted in the documentary film Throw Down Your Heart, and the CD of the same name. His second tune started out solo but quickly turned duo when he was joined on stage by Abigail Washburn, who sang I’ve Got The Keys To The Kingdom. His final tune was another duet—this time with Jerry Douglas. He said that they were “kids together on Rounder.” Indeed Bela was only 19 when the label first signed him.

The final act of the evening was Alison Krauss + Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. It was great to see the band play together again, since they’ve been off doing individual projects for so long. They did five numbers including the first song that Alison recorded for Rounder back when she was a teenager, Too Late to Cry, written by John Pennell, who was in the audience. They sang their last song, A Living Prayer, gathered around one mic. The magical performance earned them a genuine standing ovation long enough to merit an encore, Ghost in this House.

After Ghost everyone pretty much thought the show was over and started leaving until Minnie Driver came back on stage and said that there’s a big finale with everyone singing on stage and “don’t leave!!” The feel-good medley of Angels Watching Over Me/I’ll Fly Away/Down By The Riverside was the perfect ending to the celebratory show.

One last note—part of the background set for the show were huge versions of album covers. It especially tickled me that one of the covers blown up was J.D. Crowe and The New South (Rounder 0044) in colors much more vibrant than they ever were on the cardboard LP jacket. It was, by the way, the second cover. Not the original one with J.D. signaling his intentions.

The race starts at 1:30 p.m. (EDT), with ABC coverage beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Manager Brian Smith told us that this was an appearance that took a lot of work to secure, and the guys are very excited about the opportunity.

“We are still discussing the arrangement but everyone will appear even if they don’t all sing. It will be a big homecoming for Josh Shilling, who hails from nearby and cut his teeth in that music market.”

This will be a big day for bluegrass music and sports. October 25 will also find Rhonda Vincent singing the anthem before the NFL’s Chiefs-Chargers game in Kansas City.

Way to go Mountain Heart and Rhonda – more please!

Well, now we have Rounder Records with a big anniversary of their own, choosing Monday, October 12 to commemorate 40 years in business. They have been recording bluegrass, roots, alternative and Americana music since 1970. A special concert at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House will be filmed for a later broadcast on PBS stations during 2010.

The show will feature performances by Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Irma Thomas, Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas along with host (and performer) Minnie Driver. A portion of the proceeds from Monday’s concert will go to the NARAS Grammy In The Schools Programs.

From a recent Rounder press release…

Rounder Records was founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin.  With only their passionate enthusiasm for American roots music lighting the way, the three Boston area college students cast their lot into the perilous music industry. “Before founding Rounder, we were basically music fans,” says Rounder Records co-founder Ken Irwin. “None of us,” echoes co-conspirator Bill Nowlin, “had any record industry experience whatsoever.”

“I doubt that ‘industry experience’ is a term we would have comprehended at the time we started Rounder!” interjects the third member of the Rounder triumvirate, Marian Leighton.

Ticket information can be found online.

The song is Saga Of The Old West, one Martin wrote, which is included on his current banjo CD, The Crow. He also performed it with the Rangers on the IBMA Awards Show last Thursday night in Nashville.

The two acts are on tour for the next six weeks or so, with dates across the US, plus stops in Canada and the UK. Find the tour info online.

Click here to view the embedded video.

They are on tour together throughout October to promote Martin’s banjo CD, The Crow, plus the new Rebel release from SCR, Deep In The Shade, which hits tomorrow (10/6).

They will also be featured on Tuesday’s edition of The View, which airs on ABC at 11:00 a.m. (ET – 10:00 a.m. PT/CT).

You can find the show dates for Martin and The Rangers online.

This television stalwart, which raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, will air on affiliate stations all over the US starting on Sunday, September 6. The show runs for 21 consecutive hours, broadcast from the Southpoint Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The Grascals are scheduled to appear on the Telethon twice on Monday, September 7: at 6:00 a.m. (EDT) and again at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) with Bradley Walker.

You can find a list of affiliate stations on the MDA web site.

September is a busy month for The Grascals. They fly in to Las Vegas for the Telethon, and then just a few days later head to Athens, Greece!brad

The broadcast of Alison Krauss & Union Station at The White House (with Brad Paisley and Charley Pride) airs on GAC this weekend. If you didn’t get to watch it live online, you can catch it on cable Sunday (8/23) at either 8:00 p.m. or midnight (technically Monday morning).

The show will air once again in September, on 9/9 at 10:00 p.m., and 9/10 at 2:00 a.m. All times eastern.

Be sure to check out the photos Ron Block sent us from their visit to the White House in July.

This weekend’s episode features both Dale Ann Bradley and The Circuit Riders. At the time of taping, Dale Ann had Gena Britt Tew on banjo, Jeremy Abshire on fiddle, Tim Laughlin on mandolin, Charles Fields on bass, and Randall Conn on dobro.

The show airs this Saturday night at 6pm on UNC-TV for North Carolina viewers, and at 9:30pm on Blue Ridge PBS for Virginia viewers.

A complete listing of broadcast stations nation-wide is available here.

Starting this Sunday (7/19), they will broadcast a show with Alison Krauss & Union Station, recorded shortly after the release of their 2001 CD, New Favorite. Look for it at 8:00 p.m. on GAC.

It is scheduled to air a number of times this next week:

• Sunday 7/19 – 8:00 p.m.
• Monday 7/20 – 12:00 a.m.
• Monday 7/20 – 7:00 p.m.
• Wednesday 7/22 – 9:00 p.m.
• Thursday 7/23 – 1:00 a.m.
• Thursday 7/23 – 5:00 p.m.

All times eastern.

Steve Martin will be performing with his banjo tonight on the American Idol finale program. He’ll be doing one of his songs from The Crow, officially released today (5/20) on Rounder Records.

The show airs at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Fox TV.

Steve will be featuring music from The Crow on television a few more times this next two weeks:

• May 25 – Ellen DeGeneres Show
• May 30 – Grand Ole Opry
• June 2 – Jimmy Fallon Show

Steve Martin on American Idol…  What’s next – Del McCoury on Dancing With The Stars?

WCNC television

The piece includes interviews with Warren along with Ron Stewart, a prominent Yates endorser, and Dan Tyminski, with whom Ron plays banjo.

Mike Redding, who does the Carolina Traveler segment several times a week for WCNC, visited Warren’s shop where he got a look at Yates at work, plus a bit of picking and singing from Stewart and Tyminski.

You can watch the video and read Redding’s text report at wcnc.com.

The show airs at noon with a repeat at 3:00 p.m. and the video is streamed live online.

Co-host Doug McElway is a fine banjo picker as well as a TV newser. This performance was taped in advance, and in addition to talking to Del about the upcoming DelFest in Maryland, Doug said that he got to pick one with Del and the boys.

“I kicked off Lonesome Road Blues, where Del modulates up to C to sing the verses, then back to G for the breaks. Mind you, he was singing that at 10 in the morning, after an all night drive from Nashville. My hero‚Ķ..”

Del’s appearance comes in at about 45 minutes past the hour.

After the repeat this afternoon, video of the episode will be archived for several weeks at letstalklive.tv.

The lineup for the 2009 season includes some of the top artists in bluegrass and old time music. Most shows will feature two acts, with some artists given the full hour.

• Show #401 – Lost & Found, Kenny & Amanda Smith
• Show #402 – Hillbilly Gypsies, Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen
• Show #403 – Beth Stevens & Edge, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
• Show #404 – Pleasant Hill Band, Millers Creek
• Show #405 – Bill & Maggie Anderson, A.J. Roach, James Leva & Purgatory Mountain
• Show #406 – Tom T. Hall
• Show #407 – Donna Ulisse, Shadow Ridge Band
• Show #408 – New Found Road, Audie Blaylock & Redline
• Show #409 – Mike Seeger, The Wilders
• Show #410 – Gold Heart, Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad
• Show #411 – Cherryholmes
• Show #412 – Naomi’s Fancy, Country Saloon
• Show #413 – Synder Family, Tim White & Friends
• Show #414 – Circuit Riders, Dale Ann Bradley
• Show #415 – Donna Hughes, Larry Stephenson Band
• Show #416 – Big Country Bluegrass, James King Band
• Show #417 – Zephyr Lightning Bolts, Tommy Freeman & Tennessee Skyline
• Show #418 – Sigean, Mike Stevens & Raymond McLain
• Show #419 – Bluegrass & Beyond, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call
• Show #420 – Special Consensus, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
• Show #421 – Lou Reid & Carolina
• Show #422 – Moron Brothers, Nothin‚Äö Fancy
• Show #423 – Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys
• Show #424- Christmas Special: Fire In The Kitchen, Dixie Bee Liners, Daniel Boner

Check the list of Song Of The Mountains affiliates to see if and when teh show may air in your area.

The 10:00 p.m. edition (EDT) has Zimmern venturing into The Smoky and Appalachian Mountains for some varmint eatin’.

In one of the segments, where the host is treated to some possum, racoon and bear, a bluegrass band entertains, featuring pickers from the Pigeon Forge, TN area. Should be worth a look, yes?

HT: Jack Hatfield

The guys cut versions of Fork In The Road and Bound For Tennessee, before host Doug McElway joins them on Golden Ticket to take the show out.

They’ll perform a couple of tunes and chat with show hosts Doug McElway and Natasha Barrett.

The show streams live online, and video of the various segments can be found on the Let’s Talk Live web site shortly after the show airs.