Roots Music Revue Radio Show brings Appalachian music, stories and tradition to life at the Earl Scruggs Center
By Staff Reports | Earl Scruggs Music Center
SHELBY, N.C. — The Earl Scruggs Center welcomed a live audience on Thursday, Sept. 24, for the inaugural recording of Roots Music Revue, a new live radio program celebrating the music, history and stories of the Southern Appalachian region. Presented in partnership by American Songcatcher, the Earl Scruggs Center and WNCW 88.7, the program blended thoughtful conversation, personal stories, history and incredible musical performances in the spirit of the great live radio shows of the past.
The first program in the three-part inaugural Roots Music Revue series featured acclaimed singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leah Song, best known as one half of the internationally celebrated duo Rising Appalachia. Song joined host and producer Nicholas Edward Williams for a wide-ranging conversation about Appalachian musical traditions, their connections to the Celtic Isles, and the musical influences and experiences that shaped her own artistic journey.
Throughout the program, Song performed traditional songs including “Shady Grove,” “The Cuckoo,” “Stretched Out on My Grave” and “Red Rocking Chair,” with each performance connected to the stories and traditions explored in the conversation. Her vocals and musicianship were complemented by the Roots Music Revue House Band, an all-star ensemble assembled especially for the series.
The Roots Music Revue House Band featured Shawn Lane of Walhalla, S.C., a respected regional bluegrass musician; Clarke Williams of Asheville, N.C.; and John Benjamin Davis of Chattanooga, Tenn. Together with Song and host Nicholas Edward Williams, the musicians created an intimate, spontaneous sound that allowed the traditional music being discussed to come alive in the room.
Emceed by Peter Eisenbrown, the evening was designed to feel like stepping into a live radio broadcast—where the audience was not simply watching a performance, but becoming part of the experience as music, conversation and stories unfolded together.
The program culminated in a lively hootenanny, with Song, Williams and the Roots Music Revue House Band joining together for a selection of traditional tunes. The enthusiastic audience became part of the celebration as the musicians brought the evening to a close with an energetic reminder of the communal spirit at the heart of Appalachian music.
"Our first radio show proved that this is not just a concert, but an earnest invitation to understand your own heritage through the music and stories that have shaped these mountains,” Williams said. “It is a way of learning that pulls you in from the heart while you tap your foot, pat your leg, or bob your head, leaving you with something truly meaningful to bring to the table the next time someone mentions Appalachian music."
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The Roots Music Revue program featuring Leah Song was co-produced and hosted by American Songcatcher and the Earl Scruggs Center, with WNCW 88.7 and Isothermal Community College providing recording and production support. The completed program will air in national syndication on WNCW 88.7 on Saturday, October 3 at 6:00 pm. Listeners around the world can stream the program at WNCW.org, while listeners across the region can tune in to 88.7 FM.
The series continues on October 29 at 6 p.m. with Travis Book, singer, songwriter and bassist for the Grammy-nominated bluegrass group The Infamous Stringdusters, as musical guest. Like the inaugural program, the evening will combine an in-depth conversation with live performances and the musical talents of the Roots Music Revue House Band, host and guest.
“There is something really special about hearing these stories and songs in the Great Hall at the Earl Scruggs Center,” said Mary Beth Martin, Executive Director of the Earl Scruggs Center. “Earl Scruggs grew up surrounded by these traditions, and he carried the music he learned here to audiences around the world. Roots Music Revue gives us an opportunity to explore those traditions in a way that feels both deeply rooted in history and completely alive in the present.”
Located in historic Uptown Shelby, the Earl Scruggs Center provides a fitting setting for Roots Music Revue. The collaboration with American Songcatcher brings together two organizations rooted in the preservation and celebration of American roots music. Through Roots Music Revue, the partners explore the music and traditions that have shaped the American South, connecting its rich musical past with the artists and traditions carrying it forward today.
In addition, this series is made possible in part through the support of Sound Archive Books, Explore Brevard North Carolina, Rare Bird Cultural Arts, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, ReString Appalachia, and Ashvegas. The partners are grateful for their support.
Tickets and additional information about the October 29 Roots Music Revue featuring Travis Book are available at www.earlscruggscenter.org.
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Mary Beth Martin is the executive director for the Earl Scruggs Music Center in Shelby, N.C.
The Shelby Independent.
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