20 years of bluegrass memories: A look back at artist highlights from IBMA Awards

September 28, 1:31 AMNashville Country Music ExaminerLisa L. Rollins

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The International Bluegrass Music Association Awards
will celebrate its 20th anniversary Oct. 1 in Nashville.
 

The two-decade milestone is a significant one for any event, from celebrating a wedding anniversary to time dedicated to an employer on the job.

That said, this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association Awards show, which will be held Oct. 1 at Nashville’s historic Ryman with the aid of co-hosts Kathy Mattea & Hot Rize, is certainly no exception.

In reviewing the awards show’s 20-history, there’s an ample supply of special moments to recall. In turn, the following is an overview of just such IBMA Awards moments for those who care to remember the music event and its participants.

In 1995, Ronnie McCoury received the Mandolin Player prize, and instead of simply dedicating the award to his idol, he walked into the crowd and presented the trophy to the Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe, who was seated in one of the first few rows. Monroe smiled broadly and waved the crystal award in the air above his head, to the delight of the entire audience.

The envelope, please ...

Opening awards envelopes can be a catastrophe on any awards show. To resolve a problem with an uncooperative one at the very first IBMA Awards show, Mitch Jayne of The Dillards reached into his boot for a large bowie knife to open the envelope that announced the 1990 Entertainer of the Year. Mitch then flipped the knife into the wooden podium, anchoring the tip of his blade in place while he announced Hot Rize as the award recipients.

Remembering 9/11

Capturing the heartfelt emotions of the world just a few weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. in 2001, the show opened in complete darkness and a moment of silent tribute. The darkness was replaced and every heart filled with the sounds of "America the Beautiful" being played on banjo in a solo spotlight by Hall of Fame member Sonny Osborne.

A yodel from the balcony

Hall of Fame member Jimmy Martin yodeled from the balcony for show host Marty Stuart during the 2000 awards show, demonstrating the sound Marty often heard on the telephone when Jimmy would call him in the middle of the night to report on a particularly good jam session or invite him to go coon hunting the following morning.

The IBMA Awards' lone encore

Jamie Dailey, left, and Darrin Vincent are becoming
old pros at winning IBMA Awards. (Photo: L. Rollins)

Awards shows are always under time constraints, which usually prevent encores. But the crowd simply wouldn't let The Bluegrass Album Band offstage in 1990, which resulted in the only encore--ever--in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Awards.

Bluegrass prodigies: IBMAs knew them when

Pete "Dr. Banjo" Wernick introduced an unknown group of pre-teen Bluegrass Youth All Stars onstage at the 1993 awards show and launched a youth movement in bluegrass. The same youngsters returned 10 years later—most of them stars by then—to welcome a new group of gifted, young musicians.

The band of 12-year-olds in '93 included Chris Thile, Michael Cleveland, Josh Williams, Cody Kilby and Brady Stogdill. The band in '03 featured Sierra Hull, Cory Walker, Sarah Jarosz, Will Jones, Mary Beth Estes and Ryan Holladay.

Flags-unfurled for The Osbornes

With flags representing IBMA's members from 25-plus countries proudly unfurled across the top of the stage in 1994, a group of talented musicians from around the world paid a tribute to the widespread influence of The Osborne Brothers, with a soul-stirring version of "Rocky Top."

Thanks, from A to Z
Stuart Duncan accepted the award for Fiddle Player of the Year in 1992 and thanked—literally—everyone from A to Z, listing his influences alphabetically on live radio!
Del McCoury took the stage to accept the Entertainer of the Year award with his grandchildren in tow—for several of the nine times he won. He passed the microphone to each band member and to then-toddler grandson Jacob McCoury to help him say thanks.

From the IBMAs to the Grand Ole Opry

Sonny Osborne and Ricky Skaggs surprised McCoury, who was accepting an award at the 2003 show in Louisville, with a coveted invitation for Del to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry. He, naturally, accepted!

A record-setting acceptance speech

Almost everyone who received an award in 1995 kept their acceptance remarks brief in order to "give more time to Jimmy Martin," who was to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jimmy used all the time, giving a record-setting, 23-minute acceptance speech, every second of which kept the audience riveted.

An orchestral first at the IBMA Awards

Showing the versatility of bluegrass, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder collaborated with The Nashville String Machine on "Crossing the Briney" in 2006. It was the first time a 23- piece orchestra appeared on the show.

Is the musical grass blue in Japan, too?

Hall of Fame member Eddie Adcock and well-known Japanese artist Takeharu Kunimoto broke into "Earl's Breakdown" on the five-string banjo and the shamisen, before announcing the recipient of an award in 2003.

A teary-eyed recipient times 12

Awards have a way of drawing emotions to the surface. For example, Jamie Dailey, one-half of Dailey & Vincent, cried half a dozen times at the awards show podium in 2008. He was so shook up, he even brought his duo partner Darrin Vincent onstage with him to accept Male Vocalist of the Year, because he wasn't sure he could get any words out.
 

For more info: Tickets for this year’s IBMA event are available through the Ryman box office by calling 615-889-3060, or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For a list of this year's IBMA nod-getters, please access 2009 Nominees for IBMA Awards Announced.