Interviews, News

The Grascals are cooking up Mayberry’s Finest with their music

For the second year in a row, the Grascals will be joining the Oak Ridge Boys on stage at the Kentucky State Fair. They are riding on the news of their newest IBMA nominations for Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year for “I Am Strong.”
The Grascals member, Terry Smith, recently spoke about their latest project in conjunction with Mayberry’s Finest. The album, “Dance Til Your Stockings are Hot and Ravelin ” is in tribute to the Andy Griffith Show. The project has taken notice among fans of bluegrass and the Andy Griffith Show.
“We were approached to do an album featuring songs from the ‘Andy Griffith Show,” recalls Terry Smith. “Both Terry Eldredge and I are huge fans of the show and are pretty good at trivia with the show. It was indeed an honor to do this project.”
The album itself showcases how the Grascals are able to take a traditional tune and make it their own. With their own unique sound, they were able to allow the listener to transform back in time with “Dooley,” along with “Boil Them Cabbage Down.”
One of the neat things about the project is that not only did they cover some of the hit songs, such as “Dooley,” they were asked to write a song themselves that perhaps could have been a part of the historic show. Thus, “Boy, Giraffe’s are Selfish,” came to the table.
“That was a fun tune to write,” Smith said. “We were gathering ideas and we remembered the line from one of the episodes. Barney looked at Opie and said “boy, giraffe’s are selfish. You have to watch the episode to see what I’m talking about.”
Family entertainment is what the Andy Griffith show, as well as The Grascals are about. Both reach audiences with the age of 1 to 100. Both entertaining, and full of laughs, the traditional values go hand and hand with both.
Tonight at the Kentucky State Fair, the Grascals will bring to the table their own blend of country and bluegrass music as they open up for the Oak Ridge Boys. “It is always an honor to open for the Oak Ridge Boys,” Smith recalled. “Last year was a real treat, especially when Joe Bonsall came out to play banjo on one of the tunes. Those guys are great to be around and we have a great time.”
Tonight’s show starts at 8:00 PM at the Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. The concert is free with paid admission and parking to the Kentucky State Fair.