Everett Lilly in his own words

Everett Lilly of West Virginia (shown left, on mandolin, with his brother Bea, in a photo from the 1950s) died on Tuesday at the age of 87. Five years ago West Virginia author Betty Dotson-Lewis conducted a long interview with him, which has since been published in her book The sunny side of Appalachia: bluegrass from the grassroots (2008).

A fascinating account of the life, thoughts, and feelings of one of the true pioneers of bluegrass music, the interview can now be read on Bluegrass Today by the author's kind permission. We recommend, as just one instance, Everett Lilly's giving the explanation why bluegrass music has that name.