Glamorous Bluegrass picker Rhonda is tops

Rhonda was voted entertainer of the year and female vocalist of the year, while she and her band The Rage were the best instrumental group.

In this year’s category, Rhonda was nominated alongside contemporary female bluegrass singers Teresa Sells, Sonya Isaacs, Michelle Nixon, Lorraine Jordan and Jeanette Williams.

Back in November, Rhonda released a Christmas Time holiday album, which garnered glowing reviews and was a chart topper. This album included collaborations with Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton.

Rhonda was voted 2015 female vocalist of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, which is the genre’s highest honour.

The 53-year-old remains the glamorous and proud leader of The Rage group. In addition to Rhonda’s latest awards, band members Mickey Harris and Josh Williams captured best bass player and best guitarist honours.

The Vincent band now includes her daughter Sally, wife of her long-time fiddler Hunter Berry.

Rhonda’s two brothers Jamie and are also big on the Bluegrass circuit in the Dailey and Vincent group, who appeared at the Ulster-American Folk Park festival in Omagh back in 2011.

The male vocalist award at the Nashville awards went to Russell Moore, who fronts Illrd Tyme Out, one of the most accomplished bands on the American Bluegrass scene. I heard Russell and Illrd Tyme Out at the Museum of Applachia Homecoming hoedown in East Tennessee 18 months ago and their vocals and instrumentalists were absolutely stunning.

Country singers of a certain vintage are a hardy breed, no more so than the legendary MERLE HAGGARD.

After last week’s news, reported in this column, that the celebrated ‘Okie’ had cancelled all of his February tour dates, he was surprisingly back on stage last Saturday night in Las Vegas and plans to play three more concerts next week in California.

The 78-year-old Country Music Hall of Fame member was reportedly hospitalised in December with double pneumonia and he was still too weak to perform recent shows in California.

His upcoming California tour dates include stops in Santa Rosa, Beverly Hills and Oakland. The Beverly Hills show, a special engagement with Kris Kristofferson at the Saban Theatre, was rescheduled from February 3.

Meanwhile, KENNY ROGERS, who announced he would retire from touring after one last tour, postponed three dates over the past days and rescheduled them for later this year.

Kenny, now 77, abandoned concerts in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Bossier City, Louisiana and Crockett, Texas due to “a minor illness”, according to his management. No details were given about his condition. The Tulsa show will now take place in April, meaning his farewell tour will extend further than planned.

Last year, Kenny told US show Today: “I’ve done this long enough. There’s a fine line between being driven and being selfish. I think I crossed that line when I was younger. I really want to be there with my kids and my wife. I don’t see enough of them.”