Hotmud Family
Bands / Ensembles
The Hotmud Family (1970–1984) was an old-time and bluegrass string band from Dayton, Ohio, built around Suzanne Thomas (then Suzanne Edmundson), Rick Good and Dave Edmundson. Inspired by the New Lost City Ramblers, the three learned from pre-World War II recordings by the Carter Family, Uncle Dave Macon, Jimmie Rodgers, the Delmore Brothers, the Skillet Lickers and Mainer's Mountaineers. Michael Hitchcock was playing with them when they chose the band's name, but he left soon after. All three sang, and they switched instruments often: Thomas played guitar, mandolin, banjo, autoharp and piano; Good played banjo, guitar and steel guitar; and Edmundson played fiddle, guitar and mandolin. Bassists included Tom Harley Campbell, Jerry Ray Weinert and Gary Hopkins. The band recorded four albums for the Cincinnati label Vetco between 1974 and 1978, then two for Flying Fish, in 1979 and 1981. Vetco reissued the band's recordings as a two-CD set in 2010, and the three founders reunited for two concerts at the Canal Street Tavern in Dayton in 2010.