This week on Five String Holler, we pull up a chair on the front porch with Eastern Kentucky bluegrass legend Astor Taylor. For more than 40 years, Astor has been a fixture in the mountain music scene, carrying the traditions of bluegrass from local stages to festivals across the country.

A Vietnam veteran, retired coal miner, and longtime frontman of the legendary East Ky Tyme, Astor shares stories from a lifetime spent making music. From picking all over the region to spending time with icons like Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe, his memories offer a firsthand look at a golden era of bluegrass music.

Join us as Astor reflects on his life, his music, the people he met along the way, and the traditions that helped shape the sound of Eastern Kentucky. It’s an honest conversation full of history, laughter, and stories that deserve to be preserved.

Pull up a chair and listen in—this is one you won’t want to miss.

This week on Five String Holler, Banjo Barnett sits down with singer, songwriter, and music promoter Gary Joseph.

Gary’s musical journey has taken him through just about every corner of the music world. Growing up deeply rooted in gospel music, he learned the value of faith, family, and traditional music at an early age. As the years rolled on, his love for music led him into the world of bluegrass before eventually finding his home in country music as a member of The Country Troubadours.

Join us as Gary shares stories from a lifetime spent around music, the influences that shaped him, the challenges and rewards of performing, and what it’s like helping promote live music across Eastern Kentucky. From church pews to bluegrass festivals to honky-tonk stages, Gary’s story is one of dedication, passion, and a genuine love for keeping real music alive.

If you enjoy country music, bluegrass, gospel, and good stories from one of Eastern Kentucky’s finest musicians, you won’t want to miss this one.

Episode 3 of Five String Holler is one for the books! This week we sit down with Honky Tonk Pappy himself, Randy Wyatt — bass player, guitar picker, banjo man, former radio DJ, and retired law enforcement officer with enough stories to fill up a Waffle House jukebox.

Randy talks about hosting the legendary Bluegrass Express alongside Fiddlin Verlin Sanders, life behind the microphone, years in law enforcement, and memories from hanging around icons like Gary Stewart, Keith Whitley, Ricky Skaggs, and more. From Carter Stanley showing up at his mamaw’s house when he was a kid, to road stories and music memories from Eastern Kentucky’s and Virginia's golden days, this episode is packed tighter than a Double Kwik parking lot on payday.

If you love country music, bluegrass, old radio stories, and hearing how things USED to be around here, you absolutely don’t wanna miss this one. Pull up a chair and join us for laughs, memories, and a whole lotta holler talk.