This month we hear from Katy Daley, and her husband, Bill Brown, in Washington, D.C. Katy Daley was the 2009 and 2011 IBMA Broadcaster of the Year, and she received IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2019.

Q. How did you get involved with bluegrass music, and what is your role now?

A. Bill and I have been married 42 years.  We met in the early ‘70s, when I did a bluegrass show at WAMU-FM in Washington.  Bill was the program director and had worked with other bluegrass hosts—Gary Henderson and Dick Spottswood—before I arrived, so he was familiar with the music and many members of the community.  We worked on several bluegrass special events—concerts at American University, Wolf Trap “Pick-nicks” and public radio fundraisers.  Over the years I continued working in bluegrass and country music radio.  My involvement with bluegrass may have been more direct, but Bill was always very supportive of my work and the music.  I retired from radio almost three years ago and have been co-producing the Bluegrass Stories podcast.

Q. Why do you choose to support the IBMA Foundation, and why would you encourage others to do so?

A. We support everything the IBMA Foundation does, but we particularly feel it’s important for musicians to complete a college education to broaden their horizons and give them training for future employment in or out of music.  We’re happy to contribute to both the Sally Ann Forrester College Scholarship and the IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship funds.

Return to the February 2021 issue of The Cornerstone.