William Brierley “Bill” Knowlton was born in Manhattan on October 20, 1938. He was elected to The Lambs in 1967 and is a Life member.
Knowlton grew up in Jackson Heights, Queens, which he used as his address until 1955 when the Knowlton Family moved to Lakeville, Connecticut. He attended PS 69 in Jackson Heights; later graduating from St. Joan of Arc School in 1952. While attending Brooklyn Technical High School, graduating in 1956, Knowlton first became attracted to country music by listening to Don Larkin’s “Hometown Frolic” over WAAT, Newark, NJ; Rosalie Allen’s “Prairie Stars” from WOV in NYC, and Wheeling WV’s WWVA with its Saturday night “Jamboree” and daily night time deejays.
At WNYE, a station located in Brooklyn Tech, Knowlton became a member of the All City Radio Workshop, and on Saturdays he’d ride his bike from home to Woodside where he appeared on WWRL’s “What’s Right With Teenagers..”
Knowlton then attended the Bronx’s Fordham University in 1956 majoring in Communication Arts.
It was in senior year that he hosted the first version of his “Bluegrass Ramble,” over the college’s radio station WFUV; the first all-bluegrass radio show in New York City.
Upon graduating Fordham in 1960, Knowlton joined his parents in their Connecticut home. He then got his first radio job as a disc jockey and announcer over WBZY in Torrington.
In 1962 Knowlton attended the U.S. Air Force’s Officer Training School in San Antonio, Texas, and was then assigned as a Public Information Officer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. While there he conducted “The Dusty Record Shelf” on WHBM in Xenia.
His other extra-curricular activities included performing with the base’s Little Theatre Group. He capped that membership with the lead part in “The Seven Year Itch.”
After Dayton, Knowlton attended Squadron Officers’ School in Montgomery, Alabama, followed by a year’s assignment as a public affairs officer with the 7th Air Force in Saigon, Vietnam.
An exciting three years were then spent at the Air Force’s Public Affairs Office on Fifth Avenue where Knowlton interacted with broadcast and print media that had their home offices in Manhattan. A year at the newly erected Air Force Museum—again as a public affairs officer—followed.
In 1972 Knowlton had a choice of being transferred to Okinawa or Syracuse, New York. Fortunately he chose the Salt City where he remained on active duty as a public affairs officer with the now closed NORAD Region at Hancock Field.
In 1974 Knowlton left active duty (but remaining in the USAF Reserve retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel). After a short time with a Syracuse advertising agency Knowlton became a civilian advertising and sales promotion officer with the U.S. Army Syracuse Recruiting Battalion, retiring in 1993.
As a volunteer broadcaster with Syracuse Public Radio station WCNY-FM, Knowlton launched his Sunday Night “Bluegrass Ramble” radio show on January 21, 1973, still on the air. While at WCNY, Knowlton recorded 52 “Bluegrass Ramble” TV shows for syndication. The series exclusively featured bluegrass and oldtime country from the Northeast and Ontario, Canada and was seen all over the United States.
In 1973 Knowlton also launched the annual Bluegrass Ramble Picnic now at Dwyer Memorial Park in Little York, New York, every first Sunday Of August. It’s the oldest bluegrass event in New York, New England, and Pennsylvania.
Knowlton also has emceed at many Bluegrass Festivals every season including New York State’s St Lawrence Valley (LaFargeville) Tug Hill (Lowville), Pickin’ In the Pasture (Lodi), Brantling, (Sodus) and Grey Fox (Oak Hill) Festivals.
Known by some as “Mr. Bluegrass Of Central New York”, Knowlton has been given both the International Bluegrass Association’s Broadcast and Distinguished Achievement Awards; a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Syracuse Press Club; and is in the Syracuse Area Music (SAMMYs) Hall Of Fame. He also received the Service To the Arts Award from Onondaga County’s Cultural Resources Council. He is a co-founder and longtime member of the former Central New York Bluegrass Association.
One of Knowlton’s cherished memories is his involvement in saving Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry. To assist in the fight Knowlton was able to enlist the support of Ada Louise Huxtable, the influential architecture critic of the New York Times. He also was part of saving Syracuse’s Loew’s State (now Landmark) Theatre, becoming a charter member of the board. Down through the years he has given hundreds of tours of the venerable movie palace.
A longtime admirer and historian of Grand Ole Opry superstar Uncle Dave Macon, Knowlton travels each year at his own expense to participate in “Uncle Dave Macon Days;” an annual tribute to the “Dixie Dewdop” in his hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Knowlton was also backstage at the last performance of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium prior to its move to Opryland USA.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, Knowlton is a Lifetime Member of the American Legion and the Veterans Of Foreign Wars, and also belongs to the Reserve Officers Association, the Tan Son Nhut Society, the Air Force Museum Foundation, and the Military Officers Association Of America.
Knowlton also belongs to the Ancient Order Of Hibernians, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Society Of the War of 1812, Sons Of Union Veterans, the Theatre Historical Society Of America and is a life member of America’s oldest theatrical club: the Lambs in New York City.
In his later years Knowlton was able to check off a bucket list of travel destinations that allowed him to walk on the Great Wall Of China, stand before the Spinx and pyramids, tour Vatican City, Jerusalem, St. Petersburg, Russia; Venice, Amsterdam and a host of other locales. (In his twenties Bill kissed the Blarney Stone; not that he needed to).
He is a resident of Liverpool, New York.