Grand Ole Opry

Inter County Energy will hold its annual meeting May 14 at Boyle County High School. Registration begins at 5 p.m., and registering members will receive a free meal ticket. The business meeting will begin at 7 p.m. The Fox Brothers, recognized by many Nashville music industry officials as America's No. 1 Christian/comedy group, will perform. In 1999, the group received the "Entertainers of the Year" award by the Nashville-based Christian Country Music Association. Inter County Energy customers will get to soak up the sounds of such No. 1 Christian country radio singles as "Turn My Life Around" and "In This House.

Earl Scruggs died last week and though not a Kentucky boy, his banjo playing was so elemental to what we now know as bluegrass that it defines our indigenous music. There is much more that defined the man, but most important is the hard picking banjo sound he brought to the music we know today as bluegrass. Legendary Kentucky musician Bill Monroe's band was named the Blue Grass Boys before he joined them, but it was Scruggs' playing that moved the banjo from the back row, and with Monroe's other frontman, guitarist Lester Flatt, blew Grand Ole Opry fans away and set the standard for what had been previously and informally known as hill music, hillbilly, high lonesome and many other names.

By age 45, Paul Martin has been on stage at the Grand Ole Opry numerous times, recorded with Exile, gone on the road with the Oak Ridge Boys and produced albums within his own home. But things are quieter now. Well. Maybe quiet isn't the best word. At the time the Sun interviewed Martin, originally from Winchester but now living in Nashville, he had just dropped off his children at school and was then helping his wife, Jamie, change his youngest daughter's diapers before she had to go to to the doctor for a possible ear infection.

LEXINGTON — The Kentucky Hall of Fame and Museum will usher in the new class of honorees Thursday. New members will be Keith Whitley, Patty Loveless, Steve Wariner, John Michael Montgomery, The Goins Brothers, Molly O’Day and Larnelle Harris. Presenters confirmed for the ceremony include Eddie Montgomery, set to induct his brother John Michael Montgomery; Kyle Macy, former UK basketball great, who will induct Steve Wariner; and Tom T. Hall and Dixie Hall, who will induct The Goins Brothers.

“Kentucky Crafted: The Market,” the award-winning arts marketplace, will feature two full days of musical performances March 3-4 on the Kentucky Stage at the Lexington Convention Center.  The Market also offers a series of hands-on workshops and activities as well as opportunities to shop for books, CDs, DVDs, artisan foods and fine arts and crafts. The lineup of hourly performances by Kentucky musicians crosses genres. To view a video sample of music offered during The Market, go to http://bit.ly/KCTMmusicpromo2012 .   Saturday  11 a.m.: Singer-songwriter Butch Rice kicks off the Saturday performances with soulful acoustic-pop original music.

Mark Bishop has always had a song to write, a story to tell and one to sing. It's a trait that goes back to his childhood. “I've always enjoyed doing creative things,” he said. “Even when I was a kid, I would make up songs, and I loved to draw and write stories.” His creativity as a youngster carried over into adulthood when Bishop began his singing career as a member of The Bishops, a popular southern gospel trio based in Waco, Ky. Bishop, along with brother Kenny and father Kenneth, recorded numerous hits during a 17-year period, most of which appeared on the Singing News Top 40 charts.

100 years ago - 1912   The anniversary of the final battle of Malvern Hill was held in Harrodsburg under the auspices of the local United Daughters of the Confederacy. The dedicatory services were in connection with the marking of the graves of 32 Confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of Perryville and died in the Union hospital in Harrodsburg. The Rev. J.G. Hunter, of the First Presbyterian church, and a member of Morgan's Cavalry during the Civil War, said a prayer, and several of the most popular Southern songs were rendered by a male quartet.

Saturdays have changed a lot from how childrenused to spend them to how they spend their Saturdays now. When Saturday rolled around at our house, we usually got to sleep a little longer, for all of 30 minutes or so. No matter what, it still meant my sister and I had chores to do, such as going down the stairs to help prepare breakfast. One of my jobs was setting the table and helping cook the meals. My brothers had chores they had to do also, such as getting the milk cow, aptly named “Ol’ Butter,” and milking her. Many times I looked out the back door and saw them riding her back to the barn.

Country music star Eddie Montgomery of Perryville just returned from Montgomery Gentry’s third USO tour to entertain American troops in South Korea and Japan. He’s also successfully undergone prostrate cancer surgery recently and the duo is working on a new album. Montgomery recently talked about all that and more before he headed out again to Fairbanks, Alaska, to start this year’s tour. A-M: What was the USO tour like? EM: “It was totally unbelievable.

THURSDAY — The Jessamine County Public Library is offering a free introduction to the Internet class from 9:30-11:30 a.m. — Every Thursday morning in February and March, the Wilmore Senior Community Center will offer “Matter of Balance” classes from 10 a.m. to noon. The class is free and open to the public. For more information, call 858-3865 ext. 238. — The Jessamine County Public Library will offer a free typing class from 9:30-11:30 a.m. — The Jessamine County Public Library will offer a baby sign-language class on Feb. 3 and Feb. 10. Times for both dates are 6:30-7:15 p.m. and 7:30-8:15 p.m. Registration is required.