Final Final Bluegrass Jeopardy Round (It’s a Promise)

Well, finally we’ve boiled it down to a single winner.

The Bluegrass Jeopardy Champion is: (drum roll)

As you read in the Final Bluegrass Jeopardy Round, the category was “Famous Kentuckians.” Both Andy Bing and George Nasca wagered the same amount of “money” and they both had the identical answers. The editor of this website did not want it to come down to this, but Dick Bowden is giving it one final shot!

At this point, both George and Andy each have $24,000 and I have a sneaky suspicion they will wager their entire wad of funny money. If they both get this Final Final Jeopardy Round right…there will be a tie declared. Ain’t doing this again!!

Here you go:

Answer: This “colorful” bluegrass performer substituted for an ailing Lester Flatt with Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mountain Boys.

What is the Question?

Dick Bowden’s Comments:

As in any well-constructed Jeopardy clue, there are at least two signs pointing to the correct Question. In this case “colorful” hinted at the performer’s name, “Red”. Coulda been Red Smiley I suppose…you get the idea. I thought it also might be a good “red” herring to falsely point to that most “colorful” stage dresser and personality, Jimmy “King of Bluegrass” Martin. But, the correct question is indeed “Who is Red Allen”. Man I’d like to hear some stories about Red’s service with Earl and the Foggies. Red was also a “colorful” personality. I heard a tape of a show and interview he did for Columbia University radio back in the mid-60s. He said his band was staying in the NYC area for a full week, and he would love to come back on the air the next weekend, but he couldn’t because Flatt & Scruggs would be in NYC and they would on the radio program “and they need the money…”

So Andy Bing will receive the grand prize, not $48,000, but the review copy of the CD by Rock Hearts — “Starry Southern Nights”.

This has been fun, but exhausting with the triple tie-breaker experience. Thanks to George for hanging in there like a hair on a biscuit. As for his Question “Who is Marty Stuart”, well undoubtedly “Marni” did fill in for Lester in the 1970s but that band was “Lester Flatt & the Nashville Grass”. “Marni” joined the band when he was 13 years old. This was well after “Flatt & Scruggs & the Foggy Mt Boys” had broken up in 1969.

Once we figure out what the ongoing newsletter schedule will be, I’ll be back with some kind of offerings for our faceful readers! Until then, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Be safe and healthy, and be nice.