There'll be fireworks at The Clayton Center when Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives take the stage on Saturday, July 2, at 8pm.
With legends like George Jones, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard all passed on, country music purists often echo the question Jones himself asked: “Who’s going to fill their shoes?” The answer, in part, is Marty Stuart.
While he’s too gracious to admit it himself, the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and musician is living, breathing country-music history. He’s played alongside the masters, from Cash to Lester Flatt, who discovered him; been a worldwide ambassador for Nashville, Bakersfield and points in between; and safeguarded country’s most valuable traditions and physical artifacts. Including its literal shoes: Stuart counts the brogan of Carter Family patriarch A.P. Carter and an assortment of Cash’s black boots among his vast collection of memorabilia.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Stuart in its class of 2020 in the Modern-Era Artist category, alongside Dean Dillon (Songwriter Category) and Hank Williams Jr. (Veterans Era Artist).
Stuart is a five-time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Americana Music Association, Grand Ole Opry star, country music archivist, photographer, musician, and songwriter. Since starting out singing gospel as a child, Stuart has spent over four decades celebrating American roots music. His teenage years on tour with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt in the ’70s were followed by six years in Johnny Cash’s band in the ’80s, and a chart-topping tenure as a solo artist in the ’90s.
His latest release, Songs I Sing in the Dark, is 20-song acoustic album recorded at his former house outside of Nashville. Stuart has shared a song from the album a month, alongside a personal statement about the song’s importance, both personally and in the context of country music. Visit Stuart’s YouTube channel here to listen.