Frank Wakefield, Who Expanded the Mandolin’s Range, Dies at 89
A bluegrass innovator, he recorded numerous albums as a leader, and his list of collaborators included both Leonard Bernstein and Jerry Garcia.
Roni Stoneman, Country Music’s ‘First Lady of the Banjo,’ Dies at 85
A featured player on ‘Hee Haw’ and member of the famed Stoneman Family, she was the first woman to play modern bluegrass banjo on a phonograph record.
Bobby Osborne, Mandolinist Who Flouted Bluegrass Convention, Dies at 91
The band he led with his brother broke new ground with an unusually broad repertoire, unorthodox instrumentation and untraditional vocal harmonies.
Roland White, a Shaper of Bluegrass and Country Rock, Dies at 83
A mandolin player and singer, he made his mark with the Country Boys (later renamed the Kentucky Colonels), and his influence extended into ’60s rock.