Bands and boards
Mandolin, vocals and co-op policy
HODGENVILLE
By day, Linda Grimes serves on the Nolin RECC board of directors as well as the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives board, sweating the myriad details that keep electric cooperatives serving members and their communities.
By night, she plays mandolin and sings in a bluegrass band called One Lane Bridge. She writes and sings her own songs as well. She has even graced the stage of the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
She can switch from board room to band stage—showcasing her talents in each.
“I find it interesting and enjoy helping people,” Linda says of her 14 years of service at Nolin RECC.
Of the band, she says: “We love being together and just enjoy playing.” The group plays a mix of bluegrass standards and a lot of gospel songs, playing at festivals and churches. They are the house band for the Knob Creek Tavern at the Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home and are regulars at Rough River Dam Lodge.
The band started in the mid-1990s. Today, in addition to Linda, it is made up of Daryl Pullin, upright bass and lead singer; Brian Nottingham, rhythm guitar and harmonies as well as lead on some songs; Johnny Graham, lead guitarist and harmonies; Kendal Mabe, dobro; and Milton Emerson, banjo.
Linda’s favorite song she has written is called The Gift, which reminds us of “all the gifts that God gives us every day.”
“I’ve been in the music biz for a long time,” she says. “My dad was a musician. He liked to play country bluegrass music. He could tell a story in a way that would move someone.”
Linda particularly loves playing the mandolin.
“The mandolin is a great instrument,” Linda says. “It’s not a solo instrument; you don’t normally lead, but it’s unusual, and I like the sound of it.”
DEBRA GIBSON ISAACS writes about how co-op members and staff contribute to their communities.
