People into Music Magazine, formerly Pickin', August 1978, NOS

From our music store archives, in storage since 1978, uncirculated, never sold.  'People into Music' magazine was a very brief (1 issue) version of Pickin' magazine.  This rare copy featured the Earl Scruggs family.

“Pickin’ ” was a magazine for Bluegrass connoisseurs that was first published in 1973 and developed a loyal subscription-based readership over the years. In April of 1978, the writers decided to expand the content beyond bluegrass music to include various styles of acoustic and electric music, with the subtitle being: “For People into Music.” Instead of being a magazine solely about Bluegrass, the masthead wrote: “bluegrass/country/folk and western/classical/jazz/old time/Dixieland/plus fashions and lifestyles.”
In August of that same year, the writers changed the magazine’s name from “Pickin’ “ to the generic “For People into Music”, which inspired catastrophic controversy. Readers were completely dissatisfied. The change was taken so poorly, that the very next issue’s title returned to “Pickin’.” Kissil, the author, made many many apologies in the editorial page of that issue. However, his capitulation was not enough. The backlash ultimately proved fatal as readers abandoned Pickin’ for another magazine, “Frets” and by 1979, Pickin’ ceased publication entirely.