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Every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening the radio air waves come alive in the Richmond and Central Virginia area with the sounds of Bluegrass. While many cities and towns have bluegrass music, few if any, can match the hard driving and high energy DJ’s who enliven the Richmond airwaves as much as the music. Two of these very DJ’s, husband and wife team Brenda and Calvin Lawson, known to their fans as Sweet Brenda and Him, have won over the hearts of Central Virginia Bluegrass lovers. |
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Brenda was born into a bluegrass family. Her father, John Hutchinson, is the SPBGMA 2006 Promoter of the year and promotes bluegrass through his annual festivals at Amelia Family Campgrounds, which he has been running for 27 years. When Brenda was asked of her exposure to Bluegrass, she tells the story of being awakened by her dad blaring bluegrass music over the intercom system into the bedrooms. Brenda began her induction into the Central VA Bluegrass family by cooking at the annual festivals. This is where she earned her nickname. Her brothers made signs pointing the way to the concession area reading “Sweet Brenda’s Café”. Calvin’s father was born in Amelia but had moved to Winston Salem, NC before his death when Calvin was only 3 years old. As a teenager, Calvin retuned to Amelia in the summers to work on a relative’s farm—maintaining his connection to Central Virginia. Calvin and Brenda met 11 years ago and have been involved with radio for 5 years. Calvin |
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says he knew that by marrying in to the Hutchinson Family he was marrying into bluegrass. Originally, they broadcast only on Sundays, but this all changed a few years back. Brenda had just donated a kidney to her brother and while she was in the hospital, Calvin bought additional air time to begin the Wednesday shows. Many did not believe that the area could support two shows - a prediction that has proven not to be true. Not only does the area support the Lawson's two shows, they are in demand at various bluegrass functions here and outside of the Central Virginia area. Page 2 ==> |
