Alison Krauss & Robert Plant will be performing a concert in Chattanooga, TN on Wednesday of this week, and our good friend Wichita Rutherford is giving away four tickets to the show. He’s giving them away in pairs so there will be two winners who receive two tickets each.
You’ll have to hurry to win though, entry in the contest ends at 4PM CST today. He’s made the entry interesting, it’s not as simple as just filling out a zip code and email address. You’ll have to work for it bit.
If you need a new coffee mug and you like to watch bluegrass related videos, then Wichita Rutherford has a got a deal for you.
He’s posted this video on his blog. It was made back in the summer of 2006. The local news in Nashville did a story on Wichita and it contains a LOT of bluegrass musicians.
Wichita is offering a free “The Bluegrass Way” coffee mug to the first three people who can tell him the names of all the musicians in the video.
I’ll give one away, the guys pouring of the limo while playing are The Infamous Stringdusters. You’ll have to figure out the rest on your own.
To win you’ll need to visit Wichita’s Blog and email him your list.
Wichita’s show is called The Grand Old Time Machine. He travels back and forth through time playing the best of bluegrass from today and years gone by.
The Cherryholmes portion of the show includes an interview with the band and a lot of their music.
If you’re curious what Wichita’s show is like, he’s uploaded a short excerpt from the 30 minute show and has made it available as an mp3 on his blog. Head on over and check it out.
The Grand Old Time Machine airs today at 5 PM EST and then again Saturday night at 12 Midnight (EST).
If you don’t have XM, but would like to listen to the show, XM offers a free three day pass that allows you full online access to all the stations they offer.
Wichita Rutherford, the duly elected Mayor of Bluegrass, presented the family band, Cherryholmes, with the key to the “City of Bluegrass” last week.
This is the first time the key has been awarded in bluegrass history and Wichita was understandably excited at the prospect of presenting such an honor. The Cherryholmes family were quite overwhelmed by it. Speaking on behalf of the whole family, Jere had this to say.
Uh… yeah… It’s an honor? I mean, it’s really small… but hey, you know… It’s an honor I guess?… yeah… It’s an honor.
Admittedly, the key was quite small as such keys go, but it’s still an honor. The family was a little apprehensive about being in such close proximity to the Mayor though. It appears they have a slight issue with Wichita’s somewhat eccentric personality.
Well, we keep the doors locked and everything, but he still drives up and down the street in front of our house a lot.
He used to do that to me when I lived in Nashville. It’s no big deal, he’s harmless, and precious.
Wichita Rutherford is reporting this morning on the latest lawsuit to involve a bluegrass celebrity.
Bobby Osborne has reportedly been sued for $16 million, in a suit claiming he caused irreparable hearing damage to a listener’s ears, when hitting the high note in Ruby. The suit alleges that the note, unamplified, reached an ear shattering 190 decibels. That volume level would rival that of the largest commercially available firearm.
Furthermore, the suit goes on to imply that Osborne did this maliciously.
Mr. Osborne is a phenomenal singer, there’s no question about that, however, he used a high note as a weapon. This isn’t the first time either.
It appears the suit is being settled out of court for a lesser sum than the plaintiff originally requested from the court.
Back at the beginning of February we broke the story that our good friend Wichita Rutherford would be directing the music video for the latest single from The GrooveGrass Boyz. The tune is a remake of the a popular tune, Crank That (Soulja Boy). The GrooveGrass version is titled Crank That (Farmer Boy) and is now available in iTunes.
Actually, there are several versions available in iTunes. There is the traditional single, and an instrumental version, a club mix, an instrumental club mix, and and extended club mix. So take your choice.
Wichita has finished the video as well, and he tells me he had a blast producing it. He says that all the guys we’re easy to work with, except one. He didn’t name names.
My sources tell me the single is selling well in iTunes. It just may be that Wichita is introducing bluegrass to more new fans once again.
He’s uploaded the video to YouTube. Here it is for your viewing pleasure.
Cautionary note: This is not your typical bluegrass video. If your prone to be offended by anything that is not traditional bluegrass, you might want to pass on this.
The GrooveGrass Boyz have tapped media marketing wizard, Wichita Rutherford, to direct the video for their new single “Crank That (Farmer Boy)”. When I asked Wichita about it here’s what he had to say:
The folks at GrooveGrass Recordings asked me to direct a video for the new single by The GrooveGrass Boyz about a song called ‘Crank That (Farmer Boy)’. It’s a ‘GrooveGrass’ or “Country” version of the gigantic hit ‘Crank That (Soulja Boy)’. We thought it would be fun to have a contest where people would send in videos of themselves doing the Soulja Boy dance and then I’d put the best ones in our video. They’ve got until February 15th to do a quick 30 second video and get it uploaded to me. The details are over at 5MinutesWithWichita.com. We’ve already done the initial shooting and here are some photos from it. The single will be on iTunes in about 2 weeks.
Scott Rouse produced the single with a variety of Bluegrass musicians as well as “infamous” Bluegrass musicians. The original GrooveGrass Boyz are Doc Watson, Bootsy Collins, Mac Wiseman and The Del McCoury Band. I guess we’ll have to wait and see who’s on this track.
Wichita Rutherford remembers things most of us were unaware ever happened. When I asked him about his favorite Christmas memories the other day, he poured his heart out, and asked that we share it all with you.
Christmas. What a wonderful time of year. When the snow falls and the family gathers and the fire glows in the living room it reminds me of when I was younger and of the little Bluegrass children who would one day grow up to be stars scampering around the Christmas dinner table. I think about all the times a little Mac Wiseman would be singing “Christmas Memories.” I can still see a tiny Arthel Watson asking his mother when the cornbread would be ready and a short haired Ronnie McCoury jumping up on my lap thinking I was Santa Claus’s brother, Richard, because I was so fat. I’ll never forget the time Tim O’Brien was a toddler and threw up up on my aunt Pearl because he’d been eating tinsel all morning. Then there were the ever precious, pre-teen, Sonny and Bobby Osborne fighting over who would be the first to give me a “wet willie” (that’s when you lick your finger and stick it in somebody’s ear when they’re not looking) while I was wrapping presents for Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush who thought they were hiding in the box I brought the new refrigerator in. It was supposed to be a submarine or a spaceship. I can’t remember which. As a matter of fact I had to spank Ricky Skaggs a few minutes after that for giving Larry Cordle a wedgie… for the 3rd time. Then Doyle Lawson kept sassing me and I couldn’t catch him because he ran so fast. Those 8 year olds are quick. Then there was sweetest little flower of all of Christmas time, the baby, Alison Krauss. Oh what a precious little angel. 2 years old. Oh my goodness, gosh-a-mighty me. I would just talk to her and she would giggle and smile and laugh and scooch around in that little high-chair. Then she threw her fork and put my eye out.
Road King magazine has honored our friend Wichita Rutherford this month by putting his picture on the cover of their magazine. Yes, they had a good reason for putting him on the cover. Wichita, it seems, if very popular with the long-haul, over the road truckers who have discovered him since he hit the satellite radio market back in 2005.
For their cover story this month the Road King magazine crew had decided to do an article about bidding on big rigs at auction sales. They needed an auctioneer, and in stepped Wichita. Who knew? Guitar player, podcaster, DJ, pool cleaner, and now auctioneer, is there no end to this guys talent?
Some people have criticized Wichita for spreading beyond the known borders of the bluegrass world, but he has this to say about that:
I want to educate people about bluegrass, get them interested in it — no matter what kind of music they like, where they’re from or what their background or age is. Bluegrass is for everybody.
With Wichita Rutherford you never really know what to expect next and I’ll admit I didn’t see this coming. I guess I should have, I know how much he likes ice cream!
For the next two months Wichita is giving away free ice cream and free milk. He’s got all the details on his site, but basically all you have to do is read and look for the images of the ice cream and milk on his page and be one of the first 10 people to email him (the wording has to be specific so you’ll need to read the rules on his site) and he’ll send you some free milk or ice cream.
I’m not sure exactly what the connection is to bluegrass. He does ask that when contacting him you tell him who your favorite bluegrass artist is, and how long you’ve loved bluegrass. Maybe that’s enough.
With July 4th fast approaching, I got an email from our old pal Wichita Rutherford, letting me know about something special he’s doing for the holiday. While the rest of us are outside enjoying a cookout and listening to our XM radio, he’ll be in the studio hosting a special July 4th marathon. His show The Grand Old Time Machine will run from Noon to 5 PM, EST.
He’ll be serving up a bunch of great bluegrass to go along with all those hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill. And, he’ll have a whole bunch of special guests with him. Alison Krauss, Doc Watson, Darrell Scott, Mac Wiseman, John Paul Jones, Dan Tyminski, Sam Bush and loads of others will be making special appearances throughout the afternoon.
A couple weeks ago Wichita had Mac Wiseman, then Doc Watson, and last week Alison Krauss. He sure seemed excited about having Andy on the show though.
Each week Wichita and a guest host visit with each other, play some music, and get in The Grand Old Time Machine and travel back in time, stopping in the 30’s, 40’s, 70’s or where ever the guest wants to go. There they meet some bluegrass stars of yesteryear and hear some great music.
Last week, at the beginning of the show featuring Alison Krauss as a guest host, Wichita and Alison went over the rules for the audience about not taking pictures, recording, smoking, etc. I’m glad Alison straightened Wichita out and told him it was OK for the listeners to eat sausage gravy and biscuits, but she never did tell him the audience wouldn’t be able to take pictures since they were just listing to the radio!
Ronnie McCoury recently held a bluegrass luau and picking party in Nashville. The party guests included a who’s who of Nashville bluegrass stars. Our friend Wichita Rutherford, the podcasting superstar, was on hand with a video camera.
He’s uploaded the video as a podcast and is running a contest with it. Go watch the video and count the bluegrass stars. Then be the first to leave him a comment with the correct number and you’ll win a spiffy prize. And if you don’t win, he’s still going to give away about 50 other prizes randomly to people who try hard.
I watched it twice and still lost count, I suggest you have a sharp pencil and pad ready!
In other bluegrass radio news, today’s the day for the launch of Wichita Rutherford’s new show on XM, The Grand Old Time Machine, which Brance posted about last month.
The show starts this afternoon (4/6) at 5:00 p.m., with a rebroadcast on Saturday (4/7) at midnight - technically Sunday morning. It runs on XM Channel 14, Bluegrass Junction.
You can find out more about the show in Brance’s earlier post.
Wichita Rutherford, the podcasting superstar, has just announced that he has moved from Sirius to XM in the satellite radio world.
Wichita’s new show on XM is called The Grand Old Time Machine which is also the name of his upcoming TV show on Blue Highways TV
Kyle Cantrell and the fine folks at XM gave me the ultimate spot for Bluegrass; 5 pm Eastern every Friday on channel 14. (They call that “Drive Time”) As well, I’ll be on for 5 minutes a day throughout the week…
You can read more of Wichita’s thoughts on his blog. What follows here is a special report from one of our roving correspondents, Jim Scott, who had the chance to interview Wichita at a recent event.
WICHITA RUTHERFORD TO ORBIT ON XM
by Jim Scott
Wichita Rutherford; Host of the hilarious 5 minute interview show “5 Minutes With Wichita”, Mayor of Bluegrass and Podcast phenom, was the very first Podcaster to get a deal with SIRIUS Satellite Radio. With his three shows; “5 Minutes With Wichita”, his flagship, on several channels, “The GrooveGrass Show” on the SIRIUS Stars channel and “Nothing New Here” an hour of old Bluegrass and traditional American music on the Bluegrass channel, his popularity netted him an upcoming TV show on the recently launched Blue Highways TV, car commercials and a gig as pitch man for sausage and biscuits as well as grits and a chain of convenient stores. I met up with Wichita at a an after Oscars party where actors and musicians of the highest caliber of fame and fortune wined, dined and schmoozed until the early morning. He had in tow, as well as in the floor laughing, funny men Jim Carrey, Ricky Gervais and hip-hop icon P Diddy. Confirming the rumor he had flown from SIRIUS to XM, he had a few things to say when we talked…
I’ve been watching the latest round of campaign ads by the candidates that are running for Mayor of Bluegrass and I’ve got a couple comments.
First of all Trent Dobbins. This guy is an importer of organic salmon? He’s pretty scary looking if you ask me. I wouldn’t eat anything this guy tried to sell me! And is it just me, or does he sound a little bit like Ernest T. Bass? You can watch his two campaign ads here and here.
Now about Wichita. His ads are well done as expected. He is, after all, a podcasting superstar and has some experience being in front of the camera what with the Van Heffer thing and all. My only question is this, who is the announcer in those ads? It almost sounds like the guy that does the voice over at the beginning of the western Tombstone. I don’t think it is, but his voice is similar and very impressive sounding. You can see his ads here and here.
I’m going to have to come out in support of Wichita in this election. If you are still on the fence be sure to listen to the Lester Flatt interview I mentioned earlier, it might change your mind.
As strange as it may sound, Wichita Rutherford has a podcast up over at his blog that features an interview with Lester Flatt. I won’t go into detail explaining how he got the chance to do the interview, but let’s just say Wichita may have had a bigger hand in shaping bluegrass music than we previously realized!
If you’ve been following this hotly contested election you’ll know that we’ve been trying to obtain a photo of the elusive Mr. Trent Dobbins for some time now. As we told you in the last update, Mr. Dobbins is an importer of organic salmon living in Beverly Hills.
This morning one of our operatives sent in this photo that shows Mr. Dobbins and his opponent, podcasting superstar Wichita Rutherford, locked in combat for the office of Mayor of Bluegrass.
In our original post about this election it seems we had the wrong Trent Dobbins. We’ve now been in touch with the Mr. Dobbins who is running for the office of Mayor of Bluegrass and he tells us he is an importer of organic salmon living in Beverly Hills.
Since we are fast approaching the heated part of the election cycle, the mid part of January, we’ve contacted Mr. Dobbins campaign office asking for a statement. They’ve promised to pass along an information sheet as well as a press photo. We hope to have that for you on Monday.
Neither candidate has suffered from any controversy at this point in the election cycle and both are running clean campaigns. That sure makes me proud of bluegrass!
Wichita seems to be a little more accessible to the bluegrass populace, while Mr. Dobbins has been unreachable for the last week. Early polling results show Wichita with a slight lead, but it may be to soon to call it.
Voting is very simple, just visit BluegrassMayor.com for instructions on how to cast your vote.
In a stroke of campaign brilliance, Wichita is associating himself with bluegrass stars by directing attention to his interviews with such fan favorites as Sam Bush. What impact this will have on likely voters is yet to be seen, but I think it’s a good move on his part.
While this site is built on the open source weblog system Wordpress, along with a number of third party plugins, it has been heavily modified and appended to suit our needs, including but not limited to the user interface, contact form, commenting system, user registration system, and a whole bunch of administration features behind the scenes.
The design, layout, polls, and everything else were developed and programmed by Brance Gillihan with invaluable aid, consultation, and input from Rodger Gillihan and John Lawless.
The ad management interface and tracking system is built on the open source program phpAdsNew.
Alison Krauss & Robert Plant will be performing a concert in Chattanooga, TN on Wednesday of this week, and our good friend Wichita Rutherford is giving away four tickets to the show. He’s giving them away in pairs so there will be two winners who receive two tickets each.
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As strange as it may sound, 
