Rhonda Vincent – Queen of Bluegrass

Rhonda Vincent, otherwise known as “The Queen of Bluegrass” sits down with Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum Executive Director Chris Joslin to talk about her upcoming shows in Owensboro, being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, and getting back in the recording studio.

The Grammy Award winning artist is a fiercely talented musician whose passion is just as evident as she sits in her living room as it is on stage. Vincent has two shows coming up on March 19 at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The shows don’t follow a setlist, so every performance will be completely different. New music will also be played from her upcoming project which her band has been working on for several years. Vincent describes her shows as more than a concert, and she loves meeting the audience after shows.

Vincent was finally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on February 6 this year, after waiting 343 days ­from her invitation in February 2020 due to Covid-19 – the longest in Opry history. Luckily, the night was everything she wanted and more. The singer notes all the love her peers showed her with flowers and messages on the historic night. “It was just really special,” says Vincent.

Covid-19 has been tough on everyone, but Vincent says there was one surprising silver lining for her. When the whole band was able to get together and play, they came back better than ever. “There was an energy and a renewed spirit because we were so excited to get together again,” said Vincent. The band has put in many hours working hard on their latest project in the works, which Vincent says she thinks will be called Music is What I See. “I feel like this is a career album,” she says, “it feels like a real landmark and we’ve worked so hard.”

You can catch a preview of these new songs at her shows on March 19.

Vincent has spent a lot more time in Owensboro in the past few years, performing at ROMP and the BMHF. “Owensboro feels like a home,” says Vincent. “you get to come to Owensboro and everybody’s on the same page.” She says that coming to Owensboro where everyone shares a love for similar things and a passion for bluegrass music is refreshing, adding, “It’s just like having a home of any sort, but for bluegrass music. Bluegrass has become synonymous with Owensboro.”

Click here to watch the full interview and listen to Vincent perform a snippet of her song “You Beat All I’ve Ever Seen”.