‘Shaping our Appalachian region needs a soundtrack’: Country Music Highway Tribute Shows announced

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (WYMT) - Shaping Our Appalachian Region is working to celebrate Appalachian artists, working in harmony with its partnering counties to turn up the volume.

“When you think about sort of shaping our Appalachian region, we do need a soundtrack for that,” said Paintsville Tourism Executive Director Jeremiah Parsons.

Representatives from the organization met with tourism partners at the Mountain Arts Center Thursday, announcing the locations for its second and third annual Country Music Highway Tribute Shows.

“Nobody puts on a show like a Country Music Highway artist. So, in terms of an audience, it doesn’t matter what the lineup is; it’s going to be a great show,” said Samantha Johnson, Executive Director of Prestonsburg Tourism.

The shows are an effort to celebrate the artists that have placed the mountains on the map while inviting new voices to represent the region, spanning different counties to show the partnerships of the areas invested in the Country Music Highway and all it represents.

“Visitors don’t know where our county lines are- or even where our cities are,” said Missy Matthews, Double Kwik President and Letcher County Tourism Commission Chair. “So we, as a region, have to join together. And we have been joining together for some time, working together to promote our region as a whole. From end to end, edge to edge, border to border, we have so much to offer.”

The first show was planned as part of the entertainment for the SOAR Mini Summit but became an annual plan. SOAR Executive Director Colby Hall said there was a desire from established artists to see a new platform created for the area’s up-and-coming voices.

He said the music tribute series is also a great tourism boost, bringing people together and giving them a destination while raising money to support the arts and heritage mission.

“Tourism and downtown revitalization was quickly identified as one of our seven key pillars. Folks knew that our assets and our downtowns and arts and music and heritage were competitive advantages and strengths that we needed to utilize as we reach competitiveness once again,” Hall said.

The events will also include other artists, celebrating makers of all types by opening the space to food, arts, crafts, and other vendors.

The second year of the series kicks off with free outdoor events in Downtown Paintsville on July 29 and Mountain Heritage Park in Whitesburg on August 12, bringing the sound inside of the Mountain Arts Center on August 19 for a ticketed event.

“We are definitely gonna reach out and build relationships with the stars of the highway and definitely push them to invest in supporting arts and music, to give them a way to give back,” said Hall. “So that we can help fund projects, ideas, people- really anything that our tourism agencies and communities behind us need.”

Hall said SOAR remains invested in its plans to reinvest and provide a platform, which is why he also announced the third annual event, which will be held in 2024.

“We plan to rotate to the Northern section of the Country Music Highway with shows,” he said. “We’re planting the flag and planning two years ahead because we do see this as a signature event.”

The summer 2024 events are planned for Russell, Ashland and Louisa. You can find out more and see how to register here.

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