I am a musical archivist with a rather large Bluegrass and I am trying to pin down the dates of the Rocky Mountain Bluegrass festival from 1978, I have a recording from a tribute show that NPR did of Lester Flatt in 1981 and they just say it was recorded at RMBF 1978
also I am seeking out recordings from those earliest shows, I know Bill Monroe did a few of those, including the 1st in 1973, I have a Grand Ole Opry tape from 1973-07-25 where he mentions he’ll be in Henderson
any and all help greatly appreciated ont this and please feel free to contact me if you’re interested in aquiring any great olf bluegrass recordings, free of course
5th Annual Colorado Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival
August 19-21, 1977. Adams County Fairground
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys • Country Gazette • The McLain Family Band • Dudley Murphy • Dub Crouch • Ray & Ina Patterson • City Limits • Denver Grass • Stone Mountain • Sunday River • Town & Country Review • Rambling Drifters • & Minnie Moore
6th Annual Colorado Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival
1978. Adams County Fairground
7th Annual Colorado Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival
August 24-26, 1979. Adams County Fairground
OK - I’ve fired off an e-mail info request to the parks & community folks at the fairgrounds where the fest was held that year. Hang in there! I’ll let you know if I get any info.
Auntie Hope :festivarian2 :green
UPDATE: ACF just called. They’re working on finding those dates for ya!
They even called Planet Bluegrass. :lol :lol :lol
not overly surprised about that, it took KCFR almost 1 month to get back to me to tell me their records didn’t go back that far – very strange (to me at least) the 1978 shows dates seem to be lost to history –
Newspaper archives? maybe start with Adams County papers? At least you have it narrowed to 1978. Someone took out ads and someone surely did an article on it in more than one newspaper.
How about music publications from that year?
There is word of it somewhere… it’s just a matter of doing a little digging in the right place.
I am on another list… I will ask around.
I assume you have already contacted the Colorado Bluegrass Society. Seems they have some archives. http://www.coloradobluegrass.org/
That was my first RMBG festival. It was in August, can’t remember the exact date. I am looking for my pic. album as I recall taking some pics. There was a small stage in the center of the rodeo arena, attendance was sparse. Camping and jamming was great. NO Lottery,tarp lines,get your tics right at the festival, skinnty dipping in a gravel pit pond. I recall seeing Bill Monroe and late night jamming with Byron Berline. Roger Franz
