About the Show
- What's the Back 40 's Forté
Background
Ron Moores' "Back 40" is a program of traditional country, western and bluegrass music broadcast every Saturday at noon on CKCU 93.1 FM in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In can also be heard on the Internet, in Real Audio, at www.ckcufm.com. Currently, it is the only program in Ottawa of its kind, and the only one that regularly features interviews with Bluegrass artists from across North America (see below).
One of over 100 programs broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the "Back 40" is celebrating 15 years this year. This April, Ron will be celebrating his 11th. year as the "Back 40" host. In November 2005, CKCU 93.1 FM Radio Carleton celebrated "30 years in your ears" as the oldest campus-based community radio station in Canada, and a leader in community broadcasting.
"Back 40" began broadcasting in March, 1990 and was hosted by the "Back 40 Collective" of founder, the late Bill Grant, along with Doug Torrance and Dave deJongh. Joined in April 1993 by Ron Moores, the show eventually fell to Ron's care, when Doug and Dave headed for points west. Since taking over in late 1993, Ron has retained the original format of old-tyme, country, western and bluegrass music and added such new features as:
Regular Features
There are regular features you can count on, such as:
- The Easter and Christmas Gospel Shows
- For lovers on Valentine's Day
- Christmas in the Valley
- Year in Review and Preview at year's end
- Bluegrass Unlimited/Bluegrass Now: "Top 15 Bluegrass Albums" (quarterly)
- New Releases and Discoveries, from local, regional, national and international artists.
- Special Profiles and Features
Ron brings diverse programming and insight into what lay behind the scenes of country music and its artists. The Back 40 profiles artists who play the rich diversity of country music - from yesterday's "hillbilly" to today's "alternative" - music you won't find on commercial radio. You'll follow their careers and listen to the songs that made them famous. From the rollicking old-timey string band sounds of Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers during the 1920's and 30's, to the brash contemporary "alternative" country of Fred Eaglesmith - you'll hear a new artist or feature every week on the Back 40. And you can go back in time in Ron's time capsule to hear western swing music, honky-tonk, and bluegrass classics. And there's much more, as you'll see below. Tired of the monotony of today's commercial country music? Head for the Back 40 Saturday's at noon for a slice of 80 years of classic country music!
Interviews
Ron attends many summer music festivals and events in the CKCU listening area and further afield such as the Central Canada Blue Grass Awards in Huntsville, Ontario, and the International Blue Grass Music Awards in Louisville, Kentucky. He interviews established bands as well as up-and-coming new groups, both local and international. Artists also call in from across North America. These interviews are featured throughout the year, providing interesting insights into the people and inspirations behind the music. Over the past fifteen years, Ron's guests have included:
From the Ottawa Valley:
- Mike O'Reilly (The Dick Smith/Mike O'Reilly Band)
- Grand Masters Fiddle Champion, April Verch
- Howard Hayes (Country Drifters)
- Wayne Rostad
- the late Ron McMunn
- the late Ralph Carlson
- Peter Dawson
- Keith Glass (Prairie Oyster)
- Howard Hayes
- The Northern Sons
- Concession 23
- Handsome Molly
- Gospel Grass
- Gayle Gavan
- Ted Daigle
- Tom Wilson and Border Bluegrass
- Ball and Chain
- the late Terry Carisse
- Pat Moore
- Dale Ducharme and Unwound
- WRD
- Lucky Ron
- the Black Donnelleys
- Sabotabby
- Leavin' Train
- The Bowes Brothers
- the late Colleen Peterson
- L'il Andy
From Across Canada:
- Old Man Leudecke
- Crooked Stovepipe (NL)
- The Masterless Men (NL)
- Ron Hynes (NL)
- Blluegrass Diamonds (NB)
- Ray Legère (NB)
- Paul Hébert (NB)
- Dan Cunningham (NB)
- Blacks Mountain (NB)
- True Blue (NB)
- Birchmountain (NS)
- Dave Gunning (NS)
- The Spinney Brothers (NS)
- Notre Dame de Grass (QC)
- Dave Clark and Steel Rail (QC)
- Hard Ryde (ON)
- The Foggy Hogtown Boys (ON)
- The Creaking Tree String Quartette (ON)
- Washboard Hank (ON)
- Mike Stevens (with Raymond McLain, of the McLain Family) (ON)
- Dick Smith-Mike O'Reilly Band (ON)
- McCormick (ON)
- General Store (ON)
- Acoustical Strings (ON)
- The Backstabbers (ON)
- Flapjack (ON)
- Fred Eaglesmith (ON)
- The Laws (John and Michele)
- Dry River Boys (MB)
- Jerusalem Ridge (AB)
- Silverbirch (ON)
- Northbound (ON)
- Haldimand County Line (ON)
- The Bills (BC)
From the U.S.A.
- The Gibson Brothers
- Audie Blaylock and Redline
- Common Strings
- Larry Cordle
- Lost and Found
- Tim O'Brien
- Blue Highway (Tim Stafford)
- Larry Sparks
- Larry Stephenson
- Michael Cleveland & Flamekeekper
- Aubrey Hainey
- Dale Ann Bradley
- J.D.Crowe (and the New South)
- Legendary bluegrass songwriter Pete Goble
- Alecia Nugent
- Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road
- "Nothin' Fancy
- "Wildfire"
- Pine Mountain Railroad
- Charlie Sizemore
- Jeanette Williams
- Ronnie Bowman (former lead singer with the Lonesome River Band)
- "Murder on Music Row" composer Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time
- Scottie Sparks
- Lost Highway
- Ricky Skaggs
- Nashville singer-songwriter Alan Rhody
- Alan Mills (Lost and Found)
- Chris Jones
- Ernie Thacker
- The Chapmans
- Mark Newton
- Larry Stephenson
- The Lonesome River Band
- Mountain Heart
- Karl Shiflett and Big Country
- The Rarely Herd
- Special Consensus
- Doyle Lawson
- The Cornell Hurd Band
- Johnny Bush
- Third Tyme Out
- East Ohio Grass
- Bluegrass Mountaineers
Special Promotional Broadcasts
Every year, Ron previews a number of music festivals and special events throughout the Ottawa Valley. These include:
- Ottawa Valley Bluegrass Festival (with promoter Bob Johnston and Michael O'Reilly)
- Lake Doré Jamboree", (with promoter Howard Hayes and Lowell Montague)
- Stewart Park Festival in Perth, Ontario (with Artistic Director Carolyn Sutherland).
- Palmer Rapids Twin Festivals (with promoter Al Schuut)
- Ottawa Valley Country Music Hall of Fame
- International Bluegrass Music Awards (IBMA) broadcast from Louisville Kentucky's Centre for the Performing Arts
- Central Canada Bluegrass Awards from the Deerhurst Lodge in Huntsville, Ontario.
Guest Hosts
Ron needs the summer weekends to attend festivals and interview the performers. While he is away, many talented guest hosts fill in and bring listeners their unique flavour to the Back 40. These include CKCU FM Saturday morning hosts Steve Neale and Rachael Hauraney, and CKCU Station Manager Matthew Crosier, Roots and Rhythms host Bruce Walton, Steve Neale, Pat Moore, and techno-wizards par excellence Dale Pinkerton and Mike Houston (and host of CKCU's "Special Blend").
There is always someone or something new each week on the Back 40; tune in, we'll be waitin' for you! And don't forget to check out the "Coming Shows" section of this site.
Ron Moores
DJ of the Year,
2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 - Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards
