A member from the beginning, lead singer and guitarist Jim Hirons has left the band. Because Jim is a professional Country Music singer, Down County gigs usually meant time off work for him - most of his work is in the evenings! ‘Everyone’ knows that one can’t make an acceptable living from Bluegrass, at least not in the UK, so Jim had little choice.

Exclusive foto: Mick, Jim, Peter, Guy

The rest of the band has decided to continue but with a minor change: Guy Rogers, who played mandolin, is really a hot flatpicker of 20 years experience and only took up mandolin to complete the Down County line-up, so he will revert to guitar. The new line up is: Jim Irvine (banjo), Peter Parker (fiddle/lead & harmony & lead vocals), Guy (guitar/harmony vocals) and Mick Cooper (bass, lead & harmony vocals). They are on the lookout for a new (and good) mandolinist, but in the meantime are very happy with their sound. They feel that they can maintain the same standard of harmony singing, which for years has been a hallmark of the band.

The IBMA Awards Oct 1998:  Note: Each entry is “... of the Year”

• Entertainer: Del McCoury Band
• Vocal Group: IIIrd Tyme Out
• Instrumental Group: Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• Male Vocalist: Ronnie Bowman
• Female Vocalist: Lynn Morris
• Song: "Lonesome Old Home," - Longview
• Gospel Recorded Performance: Stanley Gospel Tradition: Songs About Our Savior;
• Album: Bluegrass Rules! Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• Instrumental Album: Fiddle Patch
• Banjo Player: Sammy Shelor
• Bass Player: Missy Raines
• Dobro Player: Rob Ickes
• Fiddle Player: Jason Carter
• Mandolin Player: Ronnie McCoury
• Guitar Player: Kenny Smith
• Recorded Event: Longview
• Emerging Artist: The Gibson Brothers

NWBN Recieves Internet Award
We are pleased to announce that this magazine’s Web Site has recieved the Links2Go Key Internet Resource Award. It came totally out-of-the-blue! There was the message:

“Congratulations! Your web page: http://www.g4uxd.talktalk.net/nwbn/ [NB:but the *old* URL was given...] has been selected to receive a Links2Go Key Resource Award in the Bluegrass topic! [The] award is both exclusive and objective. Fewer than one page in one thousand will ever be selected for inclusion. Further, unlike most awards that rely on the subjective opinion of ‘experts’, many of whom have only looked at tens or hundreds of thousands of pages in bestowing their awards, the Links2Go Key Resource award is completely objective and is based on an analysis of millions of web pages. During the course of our analysis, we identify which links are most representative of each of the thousands of topics in Links2Go, based on how actual page authors, like yourself, index and organize links on their pages.”

When wechecked we discovered that there is a maximum of 50 sites listed per subject and that we are amongst very illustrious company! So we’ve put the Award Medallion on our site and that is the link.

Does it mean anything? Who knows - it’s better than the kicks in the teeth we often get....

Famous Bay Area Venue to Close
Sweetwater, the beloved Mill Valley, CA, USA club, will close on January 1. Owner Jeanie Patterson is retiring, and her landlords have declined to talk to at least one group offering to keep the club in business. “After 20 years, I want to do something else with my life,” she said.

This was particularly sad news to your Ed. and wife Jean - they have played there with Belle Monroe and Her Brewglass Boys (see NWBN, Sept., 1997).

The ‘heart and soul of Mill Valley’ since 1972, Sweetwater is renowned as a neighbourly roots-and-blues venue that has played host to such musicians as John Lee Hooker, Bonny Raite, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello and members of the Grateful Dead. Bluegrass was fairly represented - the likes of Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys regularly played there, and the California BG Assn was planning a monthly night.

The subject of a Roll of Honour has been raised in the North-West and some of the Committee and area reps of the BBMA have been approached, along with members on the ground. The idea would be that an official Rôle of Honour be started and a record kept in a suitably-embossed leather ledger; the names would appear annually in the British Bluegrass News.

It is suggested that the first nominees be Jan Jerrold, who did such a good job with the British Bluegrass Mag. in the early days, Charlie Gainsford, Andy Townend. Several in the North-West would like to add John T.Williamson to the list (see NWBN, Nov. 1998, p6.) John will he remembered by all who attended Edale Bluegrass Festival in the early years, when it was the only Bluegrass festival.

Everybody seems to consider the idea a good one and the proposal will be made at the next BBMA committee meeting. I feel sure that the idea will he greeted enthusiastically and carried unanimously, and so say all of us.

Our current chairman is ahead in the game in that he has already presented testimonials to near relatives of Jan and Charlie. Rick Townend has agreed that the memorial concert for his brother Andy would be a excellent time for the presentation of a similar testimonial for him.

Bev Williams, Milnrow.

Updated 23rd Jan 1999