Blue Grass Time

On air

Wednesdays · 6 PM – 8 PM · CT

WUSB · 90.1 fm · New York

Modern;Gospel;Traditional;Progressive

About the show

Buddy Merriam is a legendary cornerstone of the Northeastern bluegrass community and a world-renowned mandolin master. Based in Sound Beach, New York, Buddy’s lifelong musical path took a dramatic, fateful turn in 1976. While attending a bluegrass festival in the Berkshires, he was struck by lightning. Recovering in the hospital, he took the near-death experience as a sign to fully commit his life to the mandolin. Having met Bill Monroe in a parking lot right before the lightning strike, Buddy was taken under the wing of the "Father of Bluegrass" himself, who personally mentored him on "how to play it right." Over the next several decades, Buddy was hailed by promoters as one of the finest Monroe-style mandolin players in the world, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and fronting his iconic band, Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, for a monumental 45-year run. His immense contributions to the region's cultural heritage earned him the prestigious Long Island Sound Award (LISA) from the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. In 1991, Buddy channelled his virtuoso musical background into the airwaves, launching Blue Grass Time on WUSB 90.1 FM at Stony Brook University. He even wrote and recorded the show's driving instrumental theme song. On-Air Style & Sound An Open-Minded Traditionalist: While Buddy holds a deep, lifelong reverence for hardcore, first-generation traditional bluegrass, he rejects rigid formats. He actively makes it a point to preview every new track sent to him to give emerging artists an open-minded chance on the air. The Full Acoustic Mosaic: Playlists are a masterfully balanced, two-hour weekly cocktail blending foundational heritage tracks, modern chart-toppers, high-energy instrumentals, and progressive acoustic movements. Artist-to-Artist Connections: Leveraging his 45+ years as a touring musician, Buddy brings incredible peer-to-peer chemistry to his on-air segments, regularly featuring exclusive interviews with titans like David Grisman, Bobby Osborne, and Frank Wakefield. Community Calendar & Live Sets: The broadcast captures a warm, vibrant neighborhood energy, rounding out each week with regional concert announcements, live-in-studio performances, and plenty of listener interaction.