Daley is host of “Bluegrass Country” on WAMU-FM radio in Washington from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m. every weekday and can also be heard on the Internet. When did you first become interested in bluegrass music?
I first heard bluegrass from my father, who used to sing “The Wreck of the Old 97.” I grew up in Okinawa, Japan, listening to the Armed Forces Radio, which included country music and bluegrass, but in those days they didn’t differentiate. I used to listen to the music on a show called “Rice Paddy Round-up.” Then when I came back to the United States, I went to Brevard College in North Carolina, where kids played guitar and clog danced.
What do you like about the music?
I really like the sound of the banjo and the mandolin. I like the rhythms and the stories the songs tell. And I also like the people — the community that is attracted to bluegrass music. And the fact that most fans of the music can play instruments and we all gather at festivals and picking parties. It’s not just a type of music, it’s truly a community.
Who listens to your show?
We have an audience all over the world, including Australia and also in Europe. … It’s also people listening in New England, which surprises folks, but there is a huge audience for bluegrass in the Boston area.
Why does WAMU play so much bluegrass music?
Bluegrass in Washington is pretty popular. At one time, it was called the capital of bluegrass. We hear from a lot of musicians who say they grew up listening to WAMU and it’s the reason they became musicians. Bluegrass is popular here because after World War II, a lot of workers came here from the South. They moved here and brought their music with them.
Susan Ferrecchio
