Bill and the Belles on air!

Bill and the Belles are radio fanatics, and this spring brought us two phenomenal live radio experiences: the Floyd Radio Show with Anna & Elizabeth, and Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time
  
At the Floyd Country Store, superlative hosts, musicians, and all-round creators Anna and Elizabeth whipped up a batch of original radio plays, comedy bits, ads, jingles, and music. We had so much fun being a part of the revelry, including telling the tale of mysterious Bill from whom our name was fictitiously derived. We won’t give too much away, but we encourage you to listen to the podcast when it is available here! Anna and Elizabeth announced that night that they will be moving on from the Floyd Radio Show after 5 years of hosting. They created such an inspiring project, and we were so grateful to be a part of it. Keep an ear out for upcoming shows with a revolving cast of hosts and guest artists! 
  
One of the many highlights of our first Floyd experience was getting to know Kinney Rorrer, host of WVTF's Back to the Blue Ridge, and descendent of Posey Rorrer and Charlie Poole. Not only did he get our bellies hurting from laughter, but he shared incredible stories about some of our musical heroes including Posey and Charlie, as well as Walter "Kid" Smith, Norman Woodlieff, and Blind Blake. Meeting him was a real treat for us! 
          
Bill and the Belles is now the house band for WBCM Radio Bristol’s triumphant return of Farm and Fun Time! Our very own Kris Truelsen is the host and mastermind behind the show, and we sure are proud of what he's accomplished. This historic live radio program was once a staple to listeners across the Southeast, offering agricultural reports and featuring the music of artists including Jim and Jesse McReynolds, Mac Wiseman, and the Blue Sky Boys. WBCM’s all new Farm and Fun Time stays true to the style of the original show by featuring top performers from across the nation, offering an heirloom recipe segment, and delivering the ASD Farm Report focusing on a different farm in the region each month. This kickoff show featured one of today’s finest American string bands, the Foghorn Stringband! They knocked all our socks off (as per usual). 
  
Farm and Fun Time is going to be a monthly occurrence, and if you can’t join us in person, you can tune in to hear us live here! You can also listen to us (and all the great Radio Bristol programming) on your phones by downloading the WBCM Radio Bristol app
 
Some exciting updates: we’ll be playing Bluegrass Underground on June 26th. Join us 333 ft below ground! We were also selected to be one of this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association’s Showcase Artists! Find out more and explore fellow showcase artists here.
  
Keep an eye on our calendar for upcoming events! We’re gearing up for next week’s Knoxville Stomp celebrating the historic Knoxville Session recordings. This is going to be a one-of-a-kind gathering of old time music scholars, collectors, performers, and fans, and we hope to see you there!