Joe Mullins

Banjo player, singer, and radio broadcaster Joe Mullins was immersed in bluegrass and country music from a young age. And his music shows the influence of the genre's traditionalists, with a breezy energy that gives them a contemporary feel. Playing since the early '80s and a former member of the Traditional Grass and Longview, Mullins first made an impression as a bandleader with Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, whose 2010 album Rambler's Call set down the template they would follow: strong picking, tight ensemble work, fine soloing, and songs that were clever but anchored in common sense. The group struck a more serious and heartfelt note on gospel releases such as 2011's Hymns from the Hills while their musical approach stayed the same. Born and raised in southwestern Ohio, Mullins' father was respected broadcaster and fiddler Paul "Moon" Mullins, whose daytime bluegrass show on Classic Country Radio spanned four-plus decades. By the early '80s, a teenage Mullins had begun his own career as a founding member of the Traditional Grass, a band known for their adherence to the genre's early pioneers. After cutting their teeth with several self-released cassettes, the band signed to Rebel Records, for whom they recorded four highly respected albums between 1992-1995. Burned out from the band's hectic touring and recording pace, Mullins had an opportunity in 1995 to purchase a struggling AM radio station called WBZI in Xenia, Ohio. Having worked for his father's station as a teenager, Mullins was familiar with the ins and outs of the radio business and by 2004, he had acquired two more regional sister stations dedicated to bluegrass and country music. Throughout the late '90s he alternately spent his time building his burgeoning radio business and recording and performing with another traditionally minded bluegrass group, Longview. As a member of Longview, Mullins had a number of bluegrass hits and in 1998 earned the Song of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). In 2001, he earned another IMBA award, this time for his instrumental work on Rebel Records' Knee Deep in Bluegrass collection. He continued to record and perform throughout the 2000s, playing both bluegrass and gospel music in addition to maintaining his broadcasting work. In 2010, he formed a new group, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, and began releasing music again on the Rebel Records label. In their first year alone, the Ramblers released both a traditional bluegrass record called Rambler's Call and a gospel collection called Hymns from the Hills. They're Playing My Song followed in 2012, after which Mullins recorded Hall of Fame Bluegrass, a duo record with guitarist and singer Junior Sisk. The Radio Ramblers returned in 2014, bringing their strong blend of classic bluegrass and gospel on Another Day from Life. Sacred Memories followed in 2016 and featured contributions from Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent, and the Isaacs. Mullins & the Radio Ramblers' 2017 LP The Story We Tell featured what would become one of their most popular songs, the witty "If I'd Have Wrote That Song." 2019's For the Record once again captured the band in fine form and included a guest appearance from bluegrass legend Del McCoury on "The Guitar Song." ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi