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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RONNIE RENO RECEIVES IBMA'S CAREER AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT Nashville, Tennessee
- Ronnie Reno, Vice President of Entertainment Industry Relations at
BlueHighways TV, was presented with the International Bluegrass Music
Association's (IBMA's) 2006 Distinguished Achievement Award on
September 28th at the World of Bluegrass event in Nashville,
Tennessee. One of bluegrass music's highest career achievement
awards, this annual award recognizes individuals in the bluegrass music
industry who have proven to be forerunners in their particular field or
who have fostered the music's image with developments that will broaden
the genre's recognition. |
| With over 40 years experience in the music industry as an artist, TV and record producer and publisher, the honor reflects Reno's rich history in the music business. The son of legendary banjo player and bluegrass legend, Don Reno, Ronnie started playing mandolin and singing at age 10, contributing to the signature sound of the group Reno & Smiley on many of their albums in the 1950s and 1960s. At age 20, he joined The Osborne Brothers, helping to provide a vocal blend that was the cornerstone of the Osborne harmony for which this group is now famous. While The Osborne Brothers were touring as an opening act for Merle Haggard, Haggard became smitten with Reno's vocal talents and offered him a job as the opening act. Reno's performance was a hit and soon he was asked to remain on stage during Haggard's set and harmonize with Haggard and Bonnie Owens. While with Haggard, Ronnie was able to also focus on his songwriting and penned Boogie Grass Band that charted as a number one hit single for Conway Twitty in 1977. |
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In 1985, Reno formed The Reno Brother's Band with his younger brothers, and in 1993 went on to create the CableAce-nominated music series Reno's Old Time Music Festival, a hit production on the Americana Television Network. The show was on the leading edge of the explosion in the popularity and re-birth of bluegrass music. He is also a songwriter, performer and producer and currently leads The Reno Tradition, a hit bluegrass group signed to Pinecastle Records. Reno is a long time board member of the IBMA and serves on the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University, and the Board of Trustees member for the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. Ronnie Reno was described by the IBMA as a living link to the first generation of bluegrass music, and one who continues to make valuable contributions to the genre in the roles of performer and bandleader, songwriter, publisher and television producer. About BlueHighways TVTM
### Note to Editors: Photos of Ronnie Reno are available as a JPEG files upon request. |
