Next generation of bluegrass

Molly Clair Corman was in fourth grade when she first saw Rhonda Vincent, the “Queen of Bluegrass”, perform at the Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson. She was immediately drawn to the music and the sparkly dress Vincent was wearing, launching interest in bluegrass.

 

Corman, 19, is a bluegrass singer and aspiring songwriter. Her discography includes an album, Echoes of Time, and a single, Everybody’s Talkin’, both released in 2024. 

 

Corman lives in Pomona. She spent her childhood on her family farm. She grew up listening to mainly classic country and western swing, which influenced her love of the “old sound of old music,” according to a June 30 interview with the Howell County News. Her family likes to joke that music “skipped a generation,” since Corman’s grandparents have more of a musical background than her parents.

 

While Corman was homeschooled during middle and high school, she would sporadically listen to bluegrass, but it wasn’t relevant in her life until she decided to take mandolin lessons in high school.

 

Corman believes that a key aspect of bluegrass is to connect with your instruments. “Music is a lot about trusting yourself with what is right,” she said. Corman believes music should touch the soul. Corman plays the piano, mandolin, taught herself bass, tried the fiddle, and is learning guitar. When asked what her favorite instrument is, she always answers with “my voice.” Through using her voice, she hopes to bring people to get to know her.

 

Her favorite song, which she has co-written, is called Between Heartbreak and a Hard Place. It is about her dilemma of wanting to make it big in the music industry but not wanting to move to Nashville and leave the only place she’s ever called home.

 

Corman was on stage at the Starvy Creek Bluegrass festival in 2023, and while she was singing a cover of Vincent’s “All American Bluegrass Girl,” Vincent surprised her by coming onto the stage and joining her performance. Through this performance Corman obtained a deal to record her first album for free.

 

Corman performed in Nashville at the Station Inn on three occasions. She also performed at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass in North Carolina.

 

 She sang at the 2026 Arkansas Country Music Awards preshow on June 1, as she was there after being nominated for the Collaboration of the Year award for her song, “Why You Been Gone So Long,” featuring Maddie Dalton and Tim Crouch.

 

 

One of Corman’s goals is to connect the younger generation to old-time music and bluegrass. She hopes to carry on traditions from the older generation while including the younger generation. Her band, Molly Clair and Co., consists of a guitar player and a banjo player, both under the age of 23. 

 

Corman says she has so much more to explore within bluegrass. She wants to combine classic country and bluegrass, adding banjo and mandolin. Through bluegrass, she believes everyone is able to find “their” music.

 

Corman will be performing at the International Country Gospel Music Association festival, July 16-18, in West Plains, where she is nominated for the Female Horizon Artist award. She will also be playing at the Buffalo River Bluegrass festival in Arkansas on September 11.

 

Corman can be found as Molly Clair on Spotify and Youtube, where you can watch her performance with Rhonda Vincent, and Molly Clair Music on Facebook and Instagram. Her website is www.mollyclairmusic.com.