Catching Up with Vernon and Kitty McIntyre (The Appalachian Grass)

This week The Extraordinary Times blog caught up with Vernon and Kitty McIntyre, the dynamic duo at the heart of southwest Ohio’s legendary band Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. A driving, five piece bluegrass band established in Cincinnati during the 1960s, the Appalachian Grass has played concerts, festivals, fairs, colleges, radio, television, and exclusive nightclubs across the United States and Canada. The band’s exploits even include the grand opening dedication of an historic cemetery!
 
Don’t miss the Appalachian Grass Thursday, September 5 at 7 p.m., at Miami University Hamilton’s Harry T. Wilks Conference Center, 1601 University Blvd, Hamilton, Ohio. Free public concert, sponsored by Miami Appalachian Studies. Look forward to catching up there!

Vernon (front r) and Kitty (front l) with bandmates Tammy Powers, Robert Campbell, and Susan Shook

​* How has the Appalachian Grass evolved over the years since the band began?
 
VM. Appalachian Grass was originally formed in the 1960s as a partnership between Jim McCall and me, with Jim on guitar/ lead vocals. I was on banjo/ backup vocals. When Jim took a job playing at Disney World, I was left without a guitar player/ lead singer so decided to move from banjo to guitar/ singer and renamed the band Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. This all happened in the late 1970s
 
The intervening years have produced a long line of previous Appalachian Grass members. Some have moved on to other careers, some are still active musically. Recent years has seen a stable lineup with current fiddler Kitty boasting 30 years with the band, banjo player Robert Campbell about 25 years, bass player Tammy Powers about 20, and mandolin player Susan Shook about 7.
 
Appalachian Grass show dates have included performances across the US and Canada at innumerable festivals, colleges, dive bars, fancy nightclubs, and any other concert opportunities you might want to consider. One of the high points in my career was a guest appearance on Bill Monroe’s Early Bird Opry.
 
Because of my commitment to my music store Famous Old Time Music Company, the Appalachian Grass concert schedule is not as far-ranging as it once was. But, I still dream about one more performance on the Opry.
 
KM. I think Vernon pretty much covered this. I have always been impressed (and considered myself lucky) that Vernon is so open to women in the band. A lot of guys aren’t.

* How did you both meet?
 
KM. My brother, Andy Schaeffer, got interested in banjo as a result of the original Beverly Hillbillies TV show. He bought the Earl Scruggs book and built a banjo from the plans in the book. He bugged me to play rhythm on piano for him to play the banjo tunes he was learning. He bugged me to learn to play bluegrass fiddle (I played only classical at the time) and recorded various tunes at half speed for me to try and learn. I guess he finally got fed up waiting for me and went in search of a banjo teacher. He found Vernon McIntyre and they became good friends and started hanging out together.
 
When I returned to Cinci from college in the early 1980s, Andy started taking me to Appalachian Grass shows. I got more actively interested at that point and started trying to learn some bluegrass. Vernon was very helpful on this front and over the years has been my main fiddle teacher even though he doesn’t really play fiddle. He also ended up as my husband!
 
* Which musicians do you most admire?
 
KM. On fiddle, my personal all-time favorite is Scot Stoneman; the man is a maniac. Kenny Baker and Stuart Duncan are also favorites. Recently, I have started being more serious about mandolin and really like Bobby Osborne, Ronnie McCoury, and Red Rector. 
 
VM. Hard to choose. Most admired bluegrass artists probably Earl Scruggs, Walt Hensley, Jimmy Martin, John Duffy, and both Bobby and Sunny Osborne.

* What have been your most memorable performances over the years?
 
VM. Hometown performer concert at Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD (Vernon born and raised in Baltimore). Also, Geoff Berne’s Englishtown Music Hall.
 
KM. I don’t know that I have a most memorable performance. The most fun I ever had was being at Silver Dollar City in Branson for a month, playing every day and running our vending booth. That was a blast!

* What do you most enjoy about performing live events?
 
VM. Meeting and greeting new folks at Appalachian Grass shows and the diehard loyalty of longtime fans who often drive long distances to see the band.
 
KM. I get a bang out of meeting folks. They each have their own story.