Your Opinion: Bluegrass fan touts family fun

Dear Editor:

As avid bluegrass music fans and attendees of many bluegrass festivals throughout the country, I and my wife really enjoyed the News Tribune's article in the Style section of the May 24 paper. Bluegrass music needs all the help it can get to survive and articles such as this has got to help. In recent years two festivals have ceased to exist, the Dixon and the Clinton festivals are no more.

I would like to make a couple of comments on the article however. The picture captioned "Above: The Armed Forces Medley performs...." is actually The Punches family band from Fredericktown who does an amazing rendition of an Armed Forces medley as one of their signature songs. They consist of Bruce and Bobette Punches and their children.

Also "the Bluegrass Martins of Versailles" as quoted are actually from Jefferson City and as far as I know, the only local nationally known award-winning bluegrass band. They are a family band consisting of father Elvin Martin and his six children.

I would also like to take this opportunity to ask for thoughts and prayers for Chuck Stearman and his family. He is in failing health and is the founder and driving force behind the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) organization. The organization has been in existence for 41 years and has had the Annual Mid-West Awards Convention in Jefferson City for 32 years.

The 33rd, Jefferson City SPBGMA Awards convention is scheduled at the Capitol Plaza Hotel Jan. 8-10. It attracts bands and "pickers" from throughout the country. The 42nd National SPBGMA awards convention is scheduled in Nashville, Tennessee at the Sheraton Music City Hotel Feb. 4-7.

I would like to recommend to all families that there is no better place for good clean family-oriented entertainment than bluegrass festivals! Many have tractor pulled wagons that run continuously that kids enjoy riding and I know of no safer place for families to turn their kids loose! Many have good home-cooked food in their concessions and some even have potluck dinners for the bluegrass lovers and performers.