April 25, 2025 — Anticipation has been running high since the announcement in February that acclaimed banjo player and singer Gena Britt of the GRAMMY-nominated ensemble Sister Sadie had been signed to pre-eminent bluegrass label, Mountain Home Music Company. Now, the veteran artist is releasing her first single for the label, a new rendition of an under-appreciated favorite that, like Brittherself, brings together past and present in the service of a compelling musical vision.
Written by acclaimed bass player Marshall Wilborn, “Goodbye to the Blues” was first recorded by the legendary group in which he served, the Johnson Mountain Boys and then again by his wife, Bluegrass Hall of Famer Lynn Morris, with whom he joined forces after his JMB stint. Marrying a bluesy mid-tempo groove to a succinct lyric that turns the downcast refrain of its first two verses:
Bad news, bad news
I say hello to the blues
into the hopeful one that ends the final stanza:
Good news, good news
I say goodbye to the blues
it’s a deft piece of writing that exemplifies the strength of the genre in which Britt has forged a decades-long career.
Says Britt, “I’m so excited about ‘Goodbye to the Blues,’ and the amazing band that helped me bring it to life in the studio. What an absolute dream band!”
Indeed, the band which Britt assembled for the project is filled with talent, from the Del McCoury Band’s Alan Bartram (bass, harmony vocal) and fiddler Jason Carter, to John Meador (guitar, harmony vocal) formerly of the GRAMMY-nominated Authentic Unlimited (whose Jesse Brock appeared on Morris’srecording of the song) and mandolinist Jonathan Dillon (Junior Sisk Band, Red Camel Collective). Still, the spotlight shines brightest on Britt’s expressive voice and the banjo playing that’s earned her multiple IBMA Banjo Player of the Year nominations — along with a special treat that solidifies the through line of tradition that informs her work:
“With the help of one of my best friends Tina Steffey, we were able to pay tribute to the great Lynn Morris’s clawhammer banjo playing from her original cut. I’m a huge Lynn Morris and Marshall Wilborn fan and I hope everyone loves this as much as I do.”
“Goodbye to the Blues” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
About Gena Britt
Gena Britt grew up in a small town in North Carolina, where she fell in love with the sounds of bluegrass music at a very early age. She is well known for her dynamic and powerful banjo playing, solid acoustic bass playing and heartfelt vocals with spot on harmonies and vocal phrasing. Gena has one of the most respected resumes in the business, with stints in the groundbreaking all-female Petticoat Junction; North Carolina’s New Vintage; Lou Reid & Carolina, and Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, along with work fronting her own Gena Britt Band. In 2012, she helped to found Sister Sadie, the GRAMMY-nominated group with whom she continues to record and perform today.
Gena is the proud recipient of seven IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) awards, beginning with 2001’s Recorded Event of The Year in 2001 for her work on Mark Newton’s multi-artist tribute to women in bluegrass, Follow Me Back To the Fold. Other IBMA honors include Recorded Event of the Year in 2006 for Back to the Well by the Daughters of Bluegrass; Album of the Year in 2006 for her contribution to A Celebration of Life for Musicians Against Childhood Cancer; and, with Sister Sadie, three Vocal Group of the Year Awards (2019, 2020, 2021) along with the organization’s top Entertainer of the Year Award in 2020. She is also the recipient of a Banjo Player of the Year trophy from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music.
Britt also has an extensive discography with the groups she’s been in, as well as solo recordings and, more recently, Sister Sadie. As a top banjo player, her endorsements include Wilson Custom Banjos, Hatfield Banjos, Blue Chip Picks, GHS Strings, Paige Capos, Peterson Tuners, Fishman Pick-Ups, Dr. Arm Banjo Armrests by BANJOLIT and Harrison Straps.
Gena makes her home in eastern North Carolina with her two daughters, with whom she enjoys spending time when not touring.