Welcome to State Of The Union™! This column, whose home is the pages of bluegrass now, provides the spouses of professional bluegrass musicians with a forum in which they can share their insights, observations, and experience with fans and other bluegrass spouses.

Upbeat... candid... funny... poignant... insightful... intriguing... and occasionally controversial.

It's my hope that State Of The Union will be all of these things.

• Dreama Stephenson (wife of Larry Stephenson of The Larry Stephenson Band)
  on IMAGE, January 2003
  
• Carol Moore (wife of Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out)
  on STARTING A MUSIC COMPANY, February 2003
  
• Leon Copsey (husband of Polly Lewis Copsey of the Lewis Family)
  on HOW TO BE A RIGHT-HAND MAN, March 2003
  
• Teresa Brewster (wife of Paul Brewster of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder)
  on HOMESCHOOLING, April 2003
  
• Ben Surratt (husband of bassist Missy Raines)
  on LIFE WITH MISSY, May 2003
  
• Joan Wernick (wife of Pete "Dr. Banjo" Wernick)
  on COMMITMENT AND RESPECT, June 2003
  
• Garry West (husband of banjoist Alison Brown)
  on PARTNERSHIP, July 2003
  
• Debbie Gulley (wife of Steve Gulley of Mountain Heart)
  on CONTENTMENT, August 2003
  
• Tina Rigsby (wife of Don Rigsby of Rock County)
  on CHANGE, September 2003
  
• Meredith Bub (wife of Mike Bub of the Del McCoury Band)
  on HER JOB, October 2003
  
• Bette Berline (wife of fiddle legend Byron Berline)
  on COMPATIBILITY, December 2003
  
• Suzanne Lawson (wife of Doyle Lawson of Quicksilver)
  on THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC, January 2004
  
• Sherrie Graham (wife of Randy Graham of Continental Divide)
  on STAYING IN TOUCH, February 2004
  
• Garnet Imes Bowman (wife of Ronnie Bowman of The Ronnie Bowman Band)
  on SINGING WITH RONNIE, March 2004
  
• Tim Tew (husband of Gena Britt of The Gena Britt Band)
  on LOYALTY & SUPPORT, April 2004
  
• Debbie Mills (wife of Allen Mills of The Lost & Found)
  on FAMILY SUPPORT, May 2004
  
• Tammy Harman (wife of guitarist Bull Harman)
  on GETTING RESULTS AT THE WORLD OF BLUEGRASS, June 2004
  
• Johnny Williams (husband of singer Jeanette Williams)
  on BEING A PRACTICAL MAN, July 2004
  
• Lisa McCoury (wife of banjoist Rob McCoury)
  on LIVING IN THE PUBLIC EYE, August 2004