The McCracken County Public Library is presenting a program highlighting influential Kentuckians in music on Thursday, Dec. 14, as a part of their long-running Evenings Upstairs event series.
Kentucky Voices will be hosted by singer-songwriter and blues guitarist Lew Jetton. The hour-long program will start at 5:30 p.m. at the McCracken County Public Library.
Jetton is a former meteorologist turned singer-songwriter, blues guitarist and frontman for the band Lew Jetton & 61 South. He will lead a presentation that samples music from influential Kentucky musicians ranging from the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe and the Everly Brothers to more contemporary artists like Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton.
“We're going to be telling some stories and then playing some songs by some of Kentucky's best known singer songwriters, beginning all the way back with Bill Monroe, who founded an entire genre of music,” said Jetton.
Jetton will share stories about the artists and weave together a history of the Commonwealth’s contributions to the music industry. Local western Kentucky artists like Steven Curtis Chapman and Rockin’ Ray Smith will also be highlighted.
“[Rockin’ Ray Smith] was born and raised in Melber near Paducah. When he was in the Air Force, Elvis hit it big. And he said, ‘That's what I want to do,’” Jetton said of the musician. “So he came back to Paducah and started playing in his own band that he formed and made it all the way to Sun Records in Memphis … and along the way, one of the songs featured a guitar solo, which was described by Sun Records people that it was probably one of the greatest guitar solos ever, and the guy that played that solo is still around and living today, right here in the area.”
