BITTERSWEET, Ky. — I don’t have to tell you how much the digital age has changed the music industry. The days of tapes and even albums, to a certain degree, are over.

 

Even CDs seem to have slowed in popularity, as most of us carry our music on our smart phones or tablets.

With that said, perhaps the best thing to happen to all the old classics is also this digital media we see now as the norm. I spend a lot of time looking online for old songs and artists of a time gone by and, more often than not, I fi nd them all their in this crazy place called the World Wide Web.

Most recently I have watched or listened to some of my favorite bluegrass artists and, as you all know, bluegrass music is my favorite. From the founding sounds of Bill Monroe to the current chart-topping Alison Krauss, it is all there to be discovered – and rediscovered.

At the risk of repeating myself, I’ll tell the story of the fi rst bluegrass festival I attended. It was at the famous Renfro Valley in Rockcastle County, Ky., and it included the great Mac Wiseman and the Osborne Brothers.

(By the way, I got the opportunity to interview Sonny and Bobby Osborne years later. In those days, live shows, 45 rpm records and the radio were the best ways to enjoy your favorite artists.)

I tell you that to tell you this – all these years later, I don’t think I know of anyone capitalizing on this social media world more than the great Bobby Osborne. He is literally all over the place, including Facebook, Twitter and You-Tube.

And, he uses these platforms to keep his old fans and new ones informed on what he is doing musically and to give fans a taste of his music. He is also as hot as ever, just releasing a new album entitled Original and making his fi rst-ever music video.

My point is, Bobby has taken a medium that was purely science fi ction in 1949 when his career began and used it to reach a whole new audience nearly 70 years later. I would say this digital age has been very good to him and a host of other entertainers.

I’m so glad that many of my favorites – in fact, most of them – are at my fi ngertips every time I pick up my phone.

Guess I can put my cassette player in next week’s yard sale! Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody.

From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer his opinions on a variety of new country music each week.

Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.