Fleetwood Volunteer Fire & Rescue will sponsor a special bluegrass show fundraiser on Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m. featuring Grammy award winner Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time at Westwood Elementary School auditorium.

Most widely known as a writer, Kentucky native Larry Cordle has had songs recorded by Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Alan Jackson, George Strait, The Osborne Brothers, and many others. At last count, Cordle’s songs had appeared on projects that had sold a combined total of more than 50 million records.

Equally as impressive is Cordle’s performing career. Founded in 1990, Lonesome Standard Time began as a joint venture between long-time friends Larry Cordle and Glen Duncan. Success came quickly for the band, yielding a Grammy nomination for the group’s debut album. In 1995, Larry’s songwriting commitments and Nashville’s increasing demand for Glen’s talent in the studio led the duo to take a hiatus from the road and focus on other aspects of their careers.

In 1999, Larry decided to reform the band and with the newly assimilated Lonesome Standard Time, released “Murder on Music Row” in 2000. The project was nominated for another Grammy, reached #1 on both the Americana and Bluegrass charts, and the title track was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Cordle was born and raised on a small family farm in eastern Kentucky. At a young age, he was introduced to bluegrass, country, and gospel music by his great-grandfather. Cordle fondly remembers this early influence by pointing out, “We lived so far away from everything, that we had to make our own entertainment. Music was just a way of life me, for all of us actually.”

Cordell, Kentucky was not only home for Larry, but also for his childhood friend and neighbor, Ricky Skaggs. Upon hearing Larry’s new song,