Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers to Perform at KASU Monday Bluegrass Concert

JONESBORO — Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers will perform at the next KASU-FM Bluegrass Monday concert. The show will be Monday, June 28, at 7 p.m., at the Collins Theatre, 120 West Emerson Street, in downtown Paragould.

Admission is $10 per person, payable by cash at the door the night of the concert. Those aged 18 and under will be admitted free. For this concert only, a special VIP ticket is being offered for $40 per person. VIP ticketholders will have a personal meet-and-greet session with the band beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the theatre on the day of the concert. VIP ticketholders will also have a choice of a CD, hat or T-shirt from the band plus first choice in seating at the theatre. Advance tickets can be purchased at kasu.org/tickets. Brewer is part of a family whose musical heritage crosses six generations, stretching back to the 1920s when “Pap” Brewer performed with the original Carter Family, an ensemble that had a major impact on many styles of American music including country music, bluegrass, folk and southern gospel music.Brewer formed the Kentucky Ramblers in 1980 when he was only a teenager. He recorded 29 studio albums for a variety of record labels before establishing his own label, Stretch Grass Music, and producing an additional 21 albums.

His most recent CD, “40th Anniversary Celebration,” was released last year and reached the number one position on Billboard Magazine’s bluegrass album sales chart. The CD returned this week to the number one position on Billboard's chart of bluegrass music CD sales and will perform in Paragould at the top of the charts.In his career, Brewer has recorded with major bluegrass artists including Bill Monroe, J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Russell Moore, Sam Bush, and Ralph Stanley II. Brewer has also been nominated for two Grammy awards for his CD “Vintage Country Revival.” Prior to the pandemic, Brewer and his band were planning to spend 2020 on the road on a special “40th Anniversary Celebration Tour,” but that special tour has now been scheduled for 2021.Brewer sings lead vocals and plays both lead guitar and old-time banjo in his band, the Kentucky Ramblers. Two of his adult sons perform in the band — Wayne, who sings, plays fiddle and upright bass, along with Mason who sings, plays mandolin and upright bass. Banjo player Cody Pearman is also a featured member of the band.In addition to bluegrass music, Brewer performs country, gospel music, and old-time music. More details about the group can be found at brewgrass.com.Bluegrass Monday concerts are held on the fourth Monday night of each month (with an exception in July 2021 due to the Big Grass Bluegrass Festival being held at the Collins Theatre July 23-24). These concerts are presented with support from sponsors including the Paragould Advertising and Promotio n Commission, Bibb Chiropractic Center, Gardner Law Firm, the Posey Peddler, Hyde Park Café, Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould, and KASU.KASU is the public media service of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro broadcasting at 91.9 FM and streaming on a variety of online platforms. For more information, contact KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough at mscarbro@AState.edu or 870-972-2367. Additional information is also available on the Bluegrass Monday Facebook page.