We'll be making the trek to Raleigh, NC next week to take in a portion of the IBMA's World of Bluegrass conference. Joe is nominated for Broadcaster of the Year and will attend the Special Awards Luncheon on Thursday. At 2:00PM that day, we'll join Lee Michael Demsey on WAMU's Bluegrass Country as they broadcast our live interview and performance. If you happen to be in town, come be part of the LIVE studio audience at the Raleigh Convention Center in room 201. Then, we'll get all dolled up and walk the Red Carpet on our way to the Duke Energy Center for the most fancy bluegrass event of the year — the IBMA AWARDS! Joe will join Junior Sisk on stage to present two major awards. The Awards will stream live through various outlets and you can find out more information by visiting www.IBMAAwards.org. 

The November Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival (SOIMF) is just around the corner, and we can't wait! We are gearing up for a great time at the Roberts Centre in Wilmington when some of our favorite musicians and friends join us for a fun weekend filled with the best in bluegrass.

We are also excited to announce something new we are going to try this year. We're going to have a SOIMF Photo Contest!

We want to find out who can take the best picture of our November SOIMF poster in an interesting location. That's it!

All you have to do is click the button below to fill out the official entry form. You can win all kinds of cool stuff: hats, T-shirts, and (most importantly) a pair of SOIMF TICKETS!

Be sure to enter, and good luck!

Joe Mullins & Junior Sisk have put the finishing touches on a new album. Hall of Fame Bluegrass! will be out October 22 and is a salute to the IBMA Hall of Honor.

Joe and Junior recruited an A-list group of pickers to help record this tribute to bluegrass' best. In addition to Joe and Junior (on banjo and guitar respectively), the album features Dudley Connell (guitar), Jesse Brock (mandolin), Jason Carter (fiddle), Marshall Wilburn (bass), and Rob Ickes (resophonic guitar).

The track listing for the new record is as follows.


1. Wild Mountain Honey – Osborne Brothers/Red Allen
2. The Bluebirds Are Singing for Me  – Mac Wiseman
3.  I’ll Be There, Mary Dear -  Country Gentlemen/Bill Clifton
4. Brand New Shoes –  Bill Monroe
5. I’ll Drink No More Wine  – Jimmy Martin
6. I’ll Never Make You Blue – Lonesome Pine Fiddlers
7. I’m So Happy – Reno & Smiley
8. No Blind Ones There - JD Crowe/Doyle Lawson/Pete Kuykendal
9. Greenville Trestle High - Doc Watson
10. Don’t Let My Love Get in the Way - Del McCoury
11. Single Girl, Married Girl - Stanley Brothers/Carter Family/George Shuffler
12. No Doubt About It – Flatt & Scruggs/Curly Seckler/Josh Graves
13. They Can’t Love Jesus More than Me - Jim & Jesse

The album's first single, WIld Mountain Honey, will be available to radio and for digital download beginning next week.

Make sure you get this one, folks. As Barney Fife would say, "This is big. REAL big!"

Making his debut as the new bass player for Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers on September 7th will be Randy Barnes. A native of Richmond, KY, Barnes is an accomplished bass player and has a solid reputation among the bluegrass community having worked as a touring band member for Lou Reid & Carolina, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Larry Stephenson Band and the Josh Williams Band. On becoming a member of the Radio Ramblers, Barnes says, "The highlight of my career is to be able to share my music with like-minded musicians. Of course I value talent and good all-around musicianship, but it's important to share in mutual respect, integrity and professionalism in this business and I've long admired Joe and the Radio Ramblers for all of these qualities. I've been a fan of the band for a long time and I can't wait to hit the road with them and see where the music takes us."

Barnes will be replacing Tim Kidd who has been a member of the Radio Ramblers since their inception in 2006. "I would like to thank Joe and the guys for allowing me to be part of this band for the past 7 years," states Kidd. "I am taking an opportunity to pursue a career that will allow me to be home with my wife, 6 year old daughter and 10 year old son, while also allowing me to be more a part of ministries at our church."

Joe Mullins says the change is bittersweet for him personally but he's looking forward to this new chapter for the band. "Tim and I performed together in a music ministry when Tim was just 19 years old. He is a dear friend who has given so much to help the Radio Ramblers become established. I love him and his family and wish him the best. Randy filled in for Tim one weekend in 2011 and we've been on stage for a few special events at festivals. He has the respect of so many as a professional player and he will be a great contributor to the Ramblers."

The International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) reigning Emerging Artist of Year, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will be making their encore appearance in Nashville, TN when they visit two historic music landmarks on Saturday, September 7th — the Grand Ole Opry and the Station Inn.

The band debuted at both venues earlier this year and were invited back on the spot for return performances. "I'm probably not supposed to say this," stated Grand Ole Opry member Bill Anderson, pulling Joe Mullins to the front of the Grand Ole Opry stage after their debut performance in July, "But Pete Fisher, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, just told me 'they are awesome!' I suspect you'll be back very soon." Honoring his word, Fisher extended an official invitation to come back for another performance any time. They'll perform on Saturday, September 7th on the early portion of the Grand Ole Opry beginning at 7:00pm and then make their way to the Station Inn at 9:00pm CT for an encore performance the same night.

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers are busy touring in support of their latest Rebel Records CD, They're Playing My Song, which spent 7 months on Bluegrass Unlimited's National Top 15 Bluegrass Albums chart and are also celebrating their leader's recent International Bluegrass Music Association nomination for Broadcaster of the Year. Mullins also owns a network of radio stations covering the Southern Ohio region. (seewww.myclassiccountry.com)

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will perform Saturday, September 7th in Nashville, TN beginning at 7:00pm CT at the Grand Ole Opry and at 9:00pm CT at the Station Inn. For more information including how to purchase tickets for each venue, please visit www.Opry.com and www.StationInn.com.