Del McCoury Band wins best entertainer honor at International Bluegrass Music Awards

Friday, October 18th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ The Del McCoury Band took home three International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, including best entertainer in bluegrass music and a first-time win for song of the year.

It was the sixth entertainer of the year award for McCoury and his band.

Bluegrass veteran Ricky Skaggs and country singer Patty Loveless hosted the awards ceremony at the Kentucky Center for the Arts.

McCoury and his band won song of the year for their cover of the Richard Thompson-penned ``1952 Vincent Black Lightning.''

``It's a song I really like to do, it paints a picture,'' said McCoury, whose band member Mike Bub took home an award for bass player.

Dan Tyminski, a member of Alison Krauss' Union Station, and ``O Brother, Where Art Thou's'' ``Man of Constant Sorrow,'' earned his second win for male vocalist. Rhonda Vincent took female vocalist for the third consecutive year.

Album of the year went to ``Down From the Mountain,'' which was recorded live at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The album, which spawned a world tour, was produced by T Bone Burnett and featured performances by artists such as Krauss and her band, Emmylou Harris, Fairfield Four and The Cox Family.

IBMA President Dan Hays said the awards were evenly distributed this year.

``This year's list of recipients emphasizes the fact there's a wide spectrum of remarkable talents across the board,'' Hays said.

Skaggs and his band, Kentucky Thunder, took home instrumental group, while Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver took home vocal group of the year.

Best instrumentalists in addition to Bub on bass were Tom Adams on banjo, Jerry Douglas on dobro, Jim Hurst on guitar, Adam Steffey on mandolin and Michael Cleveland on fiddle. Cleveland also took home honors for instrumental album.

Hall of Honor inductees included musicians The Lilly Brothers & Don Stover and recording company executive David Freeman. The Hall of Honor, in the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, recognizes outstanding contributions to bluegrass music.

The Lilly Brothers and Stover began an 18-year partnership in 1952 after relocating to Boston and became pioneers in introducing southern Appalachian music to the Northeast. Bea Lilly played rhythm guitar, and Everett Lilly played mandolin. Don Stover mastered ``Scruggs-style'' banjo and three-finger-style guitar. Stover died on Nov. 11, 1996.

Freeman, who owns Rebel Records and County Records, has been involved in the careers of artists such as Ralph Stanley, Lonesome River Band, IIIrd Tyme Out, Rhonda Vincent, McCoury and Skaggs.

The IBMA has 2,600 members who nominate and vote for the awards. The IBMA awards will be broadcast by radio to more than 300 U.S. stations and 14 foreign networks.