About Bill

I am a musician based in the Northern Shenandoah Valley town of Strasburg, Virginia. I play guitar and mandolin, sing lead and harmony vocals. I currently play with local musicians Don Crigler & Kat Turner. I am also a co-host of the Sunday Open Mic sessions at the Box Office Brewery in Strasburg. During 2023-2024 I was a member of the former trio Massandoah with Kevin Whalen Paul Tangren.

My primary interest has been Bluegrass music which I have followed since the early 1970's. I also enjoy other genres of music, ie. Classic Rock, Blues, Folk, Country, Americana, & Singer/Songwriter.



Since the summer of 2017 I have been Program Director for on-line radio station, Bell Buckle Radio, a station owned by Valerie Smith of Somerset, Virginia. I also produce my own program "Fosters Corner" heard on the station.

From 2013 to 2019 I was an MC at the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival in Woodstown, NJ. From January 2015 to September 2017, I was co-owner of the now-closed ShenRiver Music Group music publishing company.

From 2006 through 2010, I was a member of Strasburg, Virginia's Five of a Kind Bluegrass band. Prior to that, from 2000 to 2005, I was a member of SW Florida's Swinging Bridge Bluegrass band. Over the years some other Bluegrass bands I have been with were DC area's "New River Express", "Winterwood" and "Outer Banks".

Between 1982-83, I became a contribution writer for the now-defunct “Blueprint-Washington’s Bluegrass Newspaper". Since 1996, I have been a contributing writer for Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. Since 1995 I have been a professional member of the IBMA - International Bluegrass Music Association and I am a 2004 graduate of their Leadership Bluegrass program.

From December 1985 thru February 2017, I was a part-time producer/host of Bluegrass music programs on WAMU-FM’s "Bluegrass Country" in Washington, DC. Starting with “Bluegrass Overnight” in 1985, I co-hosted that program until 1999 when I moved to Florida. Upon moving back to Virginia in 2006, I rejoined the overnight show hosts until 2007 when the overnight show was discontinued. After that I created “Fosters Corner” which was a monthly then a weekly show. That was ended by WAMU in 2017 and I moved myself and my show to Bell Buckle Radio, where I have become the Program Director as mentioned above.