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quartet, including a show billed as its final appearance at The Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita on Dec. 8, 2006. Rundstrom fought hard until his last days in February 2007, but fans would soon learn a film originally intended to be a concert documentary became a tribute to Rundstrom and his final days.
Gottstine would return to the permanent lineup, but they never replaced Rundstrom. Instead, they keep Kirk’ s songs and spirit alive a la missing man formation, and powered on to reach new heights as a trio releasing a heartfelt tribute to the guitarist in 2008, I’ ll Be Around. It’ d take nine years before releasing their last recording to date, On My Way, and touring would taper off before coming to a halt altogether. The pandemic stopped us all, but cancer would stop the band once again, this time
attacking Gottstine’ s lungs and kidneys. He’ s working with a team of medical professionals to restore a clean bill of health, but he’ s also leaning on music and other creative avenues to help heal.
“ Music is everything for me right now, the one thing that really keeps me moving,” Gottstine reflects.“ I’ ve persevered through all that this disease has thrown at me, and nothing brings me more joy than the job I get to do, which is bring joy to those who seek it.”
“ Singing is the most important thing to me,” he adds,“ it’ s how I cope with everything that’ s been going on these last few years. And I know we’ re incredibly excited to play OIBF for the first time, so many of our friends and fans from Oklahoma have been telling us about it for years, and we’ re really looking forward to it!” IBF
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102 West Springer( 405) 282- 3175
4 / OKLAHOMA’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2025