The TV show “My Bluegrass Story” — featuring exclusive performances and never-heard-before insights into the careers of some of the world’s most renowned bluegrass stars — was brainstormed, developed, and filmed in Owensboro. Now, it’s up for a Daytime Emmy Award.
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recently announced the full list of nominees for The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. “My Bluegrass Story” is among six shows nominated for best Arts and Popular Culture Program.
The category’s winner will be announced during the Daytime Emmys Creative Arts & Lifestyle ceremony on June 17. The ceremony starts at 8 p.m. CT, airing online at Watch.TheEmmys.TV and via The Emmys apps for iOS, tvOS, Android, FireTV, and Roku .
Full episodes of “My Bluegrass Story” can currently be watched free on the show’s YouTube channel here.
The show came about through the collaborative effort of Owensboro-based organizations — the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Tanner+West advertising and design agency.
The idea for the show originated in a brainstorming session between Hall of Fame Executive Director Chris Joslin and Tanner+West owner Jason Tanner.
Tanner + West — a seven-time regional Emmy Award-winning agency — produced and edited each episode of “My Bluegrass Story.” The episodes were directed by Tanner, Dave Docimo of Wavelength Films, Grant Peele of Muse Storytelling, and Dan Miller of Bluegrass Unlimited.
One of the early backers of the television show is Mike Simpson, former Board Chair of the Hall of Fame.
“A nationally distributed television show about bluegrass music produced in Owensboro further strengthens the Hall of Fame’s position as a world-class destination for the music,” Simpson said when the show was being filmed. “I am impressed that the Hall of Fame can deliver this kind of content using local resources and production talent. Ultimately, projects like this translate into economic impact for Owensboro and Daviess County.”
The show was filmed entirely at the Hall of Fame, and the majority of the crew that worked on the show lives in Owensboro or has roots here, including:
- Chris Joslin (executive producer)
- Mike Simpson (executive producer)
- Jason Tanner (executive director, producer)
- David Grinnell (director of photography, producer, editor)
- Jared Tanner (audio director, audio editor)
- Dave Docimo (episode director)
- Eric Bivens (stage lighting director)
- Daniel Benedict (assistant editor)
- David Mackey (grip)
- Erin Rouse and Carly Smith (Hall of Fame staff contributors)
- Natalie Tanner and Jill Mackey (craft services)
“I’m really proud of the fact that this is truly an Owensboro production,” Tanner said. “The award show will be held in Los Angeles in June, and we plan to represent Owensboro and bluegrass music in Hollywood.”
Each 26-minute episode of “My Bluegrass Story” highlights a specific artist, ranging from longtime icons to emerging stars.
Artists include Hall of Fame members Del McCoury and Doyle Lawson. Others included Dan Tyminski; Grammy award winners Rhonda Vincent as well as Tammy Rogers of The Steeldrivers; and IBMA award winners Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Russell Moore, Becky Buller, and Joe Mullins. Episodes also include emerging artists Noah Wall of The Barefoot Movement, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, and Tony Kamel.
Through intimate interviews, discuss their background stories, childhood memories and influences, the meaning behind certain songs, and other insights that most people have never heard before.
Each episode also featured a live, solo performance filmed inside the Hall of Fame surrounded by bluegrass artifacts and plaques of past Hall of Fame inductees.
“These are blow-your-mind performances,” Tanner said. “We filmed them just a few feet away, so it’s like a private concert. Just to see the level of dedication, talent, and passion these artists have is amazing and inspiring.”
Joslin added, “We are storytellers, and this show is an opportunity to tell the story of each bluegrass artist and to learn more about their creative process, influences, challenges, and career highlights.”
Each featured artist also brought along an artifact or memento that is especially meaningful to them. Those artifacts were then left at the Hall of Fame and are currently staged as an exhibit that will be on display through the end of 2024.
The show initially aired exclusively on RFD-TV, which is distributed on 100+ cable providers, satellite, and numerous streaming services with a reach of over 52 million homes. RFD-TV, the flagship network for Rural Media Group, is the nation’s first 24-hour television network featuring programming focused on the agribusiness, equine and the rural lifestyles, along with bluegrass music, traditional country music and other entertainment.
