Today is Friday, February 3, 2012. This is the 34th day of the year with 332 days remaining.  In History Today: The Day the Music Died: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash in 1959 Thought for the Day: Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations? iBluegrass offers FREE MUSIC-RELATED CLASSIFIED ADS.

ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION FEATURING JERRY DOUGLAS ADDED TO MERLEFEST 25 Some of the most well-known and beloved performers in acoustic music, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, have been added to the Sunday, April 29, schedule as the closing performance of MerleFest 25. MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe's, is slated for April 26-29, 2012, and will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson. Throughout her remarkable career, which spans a quarter century, Alison Krauss has earned a record-breaking 26 Grammy® Awards. The members of her renowned band Union Station-Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals), Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin, lead vocal), Ron Block (banjo, guitar) and Barry Bales (bass, vocals), with Krauss on lead vocal and fiddle- have each earned artistic notoriety and critical acclaim with their own active careers, but form an airtight unit devoted to the process of making music when they come together as a group. Alison's most recent project, Paper Airplane, is the artist's first album of all-new recordings in partnership with Union Station since 2004's Lonely Runs Both Ways. Alison and several members of Union Station also performed on this century's best-selling soundtrack, O Brother Where Art Thou, recently reissued to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the groundbreaking album. Alison Krauss has performed at MerleFest numerous times in the past, with 2007 being her most recent appearance. Jerry Douglas has performed at every MerleFest, with the Sunday, April 29, appearance being his 25th appearance at the festival. Ticket purchases for MerleFest 25 - an excellent idea for holiday gifts - can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012. With over 90 artists performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest 25 is an excellent entertainment value. A complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org. Additionally, up-to-the-minute lineup additions for the festival can be obtained through the festival's e-newsletter and through Facebook and Twitter. MERLEFEST 25 ANNOUNCES INITIAL TALENT LINEUP TICKETS ON SALE NOW MerleFest 25, presented by Lowe's and slated for April 26 - 29, 2012, is proud to announce the initial lineup for the music festival's 25th year. The four-day event, which USA Today described as a "happy, family friendly festival that's loved by musicians who come to play and those who come to add their energy by listening, as well," will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, gathering to celebrate the memory of musician Eddy Merle Watson, beloved son of American music icon Doc Watson. The initial lineup reflects the diversity and quality of performers that have become the hallmark of the four-day festival. MerleFest is known for its unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock and many other styles that Doc Watson has referred to as "traditional plus." "This year's initial lineup will bring back a little nostalgia for the core MerleFest audience, those fans who return year after year to hear the traditional sounds of roots music. We have some of the leading names in the music industry, of today and yesteryear, lined up to perform at the historic 25th festival," says Ted Hagaman, director of the festival. "The MerleFest 25 lineup is made up of many of the artists who have helped make this festival the premier, internationally-recognized event that it has become. And, we are thrilled to welcome back that core fan base that has been with us for the ride all along… and welcome a whole new generation of fans to experience the music, moments and memories that make MerleFest so special." The following artists will join host Doc Watson at MerleFest 25: Richard Watson Susana and Timmy Abell Alberti Flea Circus Banknotes Blind Boy Chocolate and The Milk Sheiks Roy Book Binder Laura Boosinger The Boxcars Jeffery Broussard and The Creole Cowboys Buffalo Barfield Sam Bush T. Michael Coleman Dailey & Vincent The Deep Dark Woods Dehlia Low Donna the Buffalo Casey Driessen Enter The Haggis Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, the Original Lineup Mary Flower The Gibson Brothers The Greencards Mitch Greenhill Stefan Grossman Wayne Henderson Bob Hill David Holt The Honeycutters Sierra Hull and Highway 111 The InterACTive Theater of Jef Fruteland Jackson Johnson’s Crossroad Jubal’s Kin Kickin Grass Band The Kruger Brothers Jim Lauderdale Jack Lawrence Jeff Little The Local Boys Lost Bayou Ramblers Claire Lynch Band Dougie MacLean Bill Mathis Andy May Cliff Miller Misty River Nashville Bluegrass Band The Neighbors Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile Red June Tony Rice Michael Roach Peter Rowan and the Free Mexican Airforce Jonathan Scales Fourchestra Scythian The Sigmon Stringers Sims Country Cloggers Steve and Ruth Smith Joe Smothers Snyder Family Band The Steel Wheels Steep Canyon Rangers Marty Stuart and the Fabulous Superlatives Tut Taylor Tedeschi Trucks Band ToneBlazers Happy Traum Pete and Joan Wernick The Wild Rumpus Tony Williamson Wylie & The Wild West Zephyr Lightning Bolts "The initial lineup is already incredibly exciting and diverse, but it is dynamic. We will be adding to the lineup in the days and months to come," says Hagaman. "MerleFest fans can get up-to-the-minute lineup additions and other festival news through our social media ventures. So, staying in touch with us via our electronic newsletter, website (www.merlefest.org), Facebook and Twitter is crucial." The MerleFest box office will open for 2012 ticket sales on Tuesday, November 8, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. With the estimated 90 acts performing on 14 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest is an entertainment value. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2012. "Throughout the years, one of the major factors that has built MerleFest is the quality of the artists and performances that our guests see over the four days of the festival," adds Hagaman. "That, in turn, creates another important element of MerleFest's success: people truly feel that the festival is a great value. That's probably best expressed by the fact that so many music fans and families return year after year, making MerleFest a regular spring tradition. We're tremendously proud of what we've built – and at MerleFest 25, that tradition will continue." MerleFest, considered one of the premiere music festivals in the country, is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson and is a celebration of "traditional plus" music. The annual festival has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.