I purchased a record that Roy Acuff made in the mid 50's titled "I Like Mountain Music". That title speaks to why this website and why this page? I believe John wrote in one of his songs that "he about fell out of bed when he first heard Earl Scruggs playin' the banjo". Something happened in my life when I was about twelve years old (1952) that left me with a passion for "hillbilly" music. That's was the moniker it had back than. Just a couple years later, something happened again and that caused me to develop a passion for "bluegrass" music that has endured for close to fifty years. I'm not sure when it happened to John, but I suspect it was a year or so before me. Living in the same town with John at a time when the words "bluegrass" and "music" didn't exactly go together, it was inevitable that our paths would cross sometime soon. Indeed they did. I'm sure it was not much more than a year had passed when we met up in Studio C at WSM. It so happens that Flatt & Scruggs were performing at the "Friday Night Frolic". Thus our friendship began as a couple of teenagers, crazy about bluegrass. You probably noticed the picture I took of Flatt & Scruggs that night in photos area on this site.

It's really difficult for me to believe that almost fifty years have passed and I've been stricken again. I know that embers of "Old-Time" music have been smoldering in me for these past fifty years. They have now become ablaze. Thus, this page for the Reeltime Travelers. I'll see where it leads me. Hopefully it will bring more people to Reeltime Travelers and their kind of music - Old-Time. I plan to have plenty of examples of "Old-Time" music as played by musicians from the 20's, 30's, 40's, & 50's on this website. I'll be searching for one unique archive I remember I recorded - Earl Scruggs, Stringbean, Grandpa Jones, and Bashful Brother Oswald took the stage together one night on the Opry and I was lucky enough to have my recorder set up on WSM at the time. I think the four of them playing together was a once in a lifetime event. I believe the tune was Good Old Mountain Dew.

By the time you have read this far, you will be hearing Reeltime Travelers playin' the Little Bird of Heaven - written by Martha Scanlan. ©2002 Up The Meadow Creeak Road Music, ASCAP. This song is from their latest CD - "Livin' Reeltime, Thinkin' Old-Time" and winner of the 2002 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest.

Now as you start "Lovin' Reeltime" you're probably ready to hear another song. Just press on "I'm Lovin' Reeltime". If you enjoy the picture and would like to see more, you can browse Mossy.

Here are some more sample Reeltime Traveler MP3 files. I don't know if they realize it yet, but I tell you the truth, "This group has truly mastered the traditional old time string band music and have made it their own". I can hardly wait till' summer, to be sitting on the porch at Mossy Springs, watchin' the cattle water at the spring crossing, and listening to Heidi belt out the "Bear Creek Blues". I may even try to do some cloggin'. Look for pictures later.