The very popular Music from Foggy Hollow program will reach a significant milestone on February 11, 2022, when Mike Kear will present the 1,000th edition of the show.
For Kear this represents about 5,000 hours of on-air time and another 15,000 hours of preparation, emails, messaging, making interviews, keeping records, maintaining websites and databases, etc. in over 20 years of producing and presenting Music from Foggy Hollow.
The show, in which Kear plays the latest bluegrass – with many songs not even released – goes on air live each Friday, on Hawkesbury Radio, 89.9FM beginning at 10:00 p.m. in the satellite town of Windsor near Sydney, Australia, or 6:00 a.m Eastern Standard Time, 11:00 a.m. GMT.
Kear gives a brief outline of what listeners can expect …
“Normally I have about 70 songs on my five-hour Sydney show. Here will be about half of that because I have lots of interviews with people who have had a part to play in the show over the 22 years – listeners, artists, record company execs, band wranglers, station execs – just chatting about ‘stuff’.”
The Carley Arrowood song, Dear Julianna, is among the top five recordings that Kear has played on his program during the past two years, something for which Carly is deeply grateful.
“It’s such a special tune to me for many reasons, and when I wrote it, I didn’t realize what it would come to mean. My husband and I don’t have children yet, but we have watched so many dear friends get married and become parents in the past two years, who have told me they listen to this song with new ears because of their little ones. I’ve also had parents of little kids (and grown ones!) reach out and tell me how the song has touched them, and reminded them to take in all they can because the years are few. It makes me aware of how limited our time is here on this earth, and thankful to God for every precious moment!
I so appreciate Mike giving this song a chance and spinning it for as long as he has. I’m so happy for him in his 1000th show!! Congratulations Mike, and may God continue to bless you!!
Songwriter and Dark Shadow recording artist Rick Lang is full of praise also ….
“Bluegrass radio programmers are at the very heart of our music. They connect the artists with the fans and listening audience. One of the very best is Australia’s very own Mike Kear, who hosts Music From Foggy Hollow.
Winner of the IBMA Broadcaster Of The Year Award in 2020, Mike is celebrating his 1000th radio broadcast, yet another milestone in his illustrious career. We applaud him on this monumental accomplishment.
Mike’s been a great champion of bluegrass for decades, keeping our music alive and well across the pond. Mike’s love and passion for the music is second to none, and he is one of the most colorful radio broadcasters on the planet.
I’m personally grateful to Mike for his long-time support of my own song writing and music releases. So glad to call him friend, and Mike, congrats on this great achievement.”
An edited version of Music from Foggy Hollow can be heard on Bluegrass Country each Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. every Tuesday, Eastern Standard Time.
Congratulations on this momentous achievement Mike. Thanks for all your hard work.
Mike Kear, the first non-American to win IBMA’s Broadcaster of The Year award, is a contributing DJ to the Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey and the Bluegrass Today Airplay Charts.
Footnote:
February 6, 2022, marked an important milestone for Bluegrass Country. On that date five years ago, programming on 88.5 FM HD-2 and bluegrasscountry.org moved from WAMU-FM to a new entity, the Bluegrass Country Foundation.
