Let Time Ride — A Conversation with Joe Mullins
Originally published as the cover story of the June 2023 edition of Bluegrass Unlimited, this feature explored the history and evolution of Joe Mullins as an artist and a leader within the bluegrass community. Tying into the themes of the most recent release from Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, this piece served as a reflection on how time changes people, music, traditions, and more.
Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers (left to right): Adam McIntosh, Chris Davis, Joe Mullins, Randy Barnes, and Jason Barie.
Photo by Stacie Huckabae.
“I’m very, very thankful to be a jack of all trades and a master of none,” says Joe Mullins, smiling. “I’ve had to do everything to get anywhere.”
He’s only halfway correct here: over a career spanning more than three decades (and with no end in sight), he has certainly done everything. But in looking at his track record as a bandleader, banjo player, singer, entertainer, broadcaster, and more — he's a master of more than he’s giving himself credit for. As we chat over Zoom in late March about the latest Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers album and a life lived in music, Mullins notes offhandedly that he’s the only person in International Bluegrass Music Association history to have won Broadcaster of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, and to have produced both a winning Event of the Year and Album of the Year. It’s an undeniably outstanding achievement, but one he mentions only in passing — a way to give context to his career, not to pat himself on the back.
Even with his trophy shelf slowly overflowing with the accolades given to him by his peers, he maintains his humility. His goal has never been to be the star. “I’m kind of a J.D. Crowe type of guy,” he says. “I want to find guys who know how to surround me on and off the stage. Something where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
With Let Time Ride, it’s fair to say that he’s done just that. Released this past March, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers’ 10th recording project is more than just a hard-driving traditional bluegrass album (not that you’d expect anything less from Mullins and his crew). Co-produced by Mullins and fellow Radio Ramblers founding band member, Adam McIntosh, Let Time Ride — as the title suggests — is a reflection on the passing seasons of life and how to adapt to an ever-changing world.