Musicians
Rebecca Lynn Howard
Salyersville, KY native Rebecca Lynn Howard is an American country music artist. She has charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, and has released three studio albums. Her highest-charting single, "Forgive", peaked at No. 12 on the country music charts in 2002. She is a founding member of the country-rock group Loving Mary.
Coaltown Dixie
https://coaltowndixie.com
Coaltown Dixie is a classy, energetic all-female bluegrass band hailing from the Appalachian hills of East Kentucky. The band formed in 2009, taking their name from Dixie Hatfield, the grandmother of the band’s bass player and manager of a coal camp boarding house in East Kentucky. Thus far, the ladies of CtD have released three CD’s and a live performance DVD. Two of their original songs have been used as theme songs on Kentucky Educational Television's "Kentucky Health." They have also written and performed a song for the television pilot “Southern Girl Outdoors.” Coaltown Dixie has been the recipient of a National Bluegrass B.O.R.N. (Bands On the Rise Nationally) Award, been featured as “Future Stars” in the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Travel Guide and graced the cover of M.E. Music Entertainment magazine. They have been nominated for the past 3 years as Appaalchian Arts and Entertainment’s Best Bluegrass Band.
Coaltown Dixie has been honored with prominent television and radio appearances throughout the Southeast including KET’s “Jubilee” and “Tim Farmer’s Homemade Jam,” “The WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour,” WDVX Knoxville’s “Blue Plate Special,” “CMH 23” and two appearances on Red Barn Radio. Career highlights include packing the house at Suwanee, Georgia's Everett's Music Barn on a balmy summer night; numerous appearances at Dollywood’s Bluegrass and Barbecue Festival (it’s never easy to sing over that train!), The Osborne Brothers Hometown Festival and Dr. Ralph Stanley's Annual Memorial Weekend Festival; sharing the Mountain Arts Center stage with bluegrass superstars Ricky Skaggs, J.D. Crowe, The Boxcars and the Lonesome River Band; twice headlining the Rural Roots Concert Series at the Historic Sipp Theater and opening for Larry Sparks and country music stars Bucky Covington and Randy Houser.
As recipients of a Kentucky Foundation for Women "Artist Enrichment" grant in 2021, Coaltown Dixie members helped develop and host the first Mountain Grrl Experience event in Pikeville, Kentucky.
Sometimes we wear overalls. Sometimes we wear sequins. We write, play and sing our own brand of “high-heeled bluegrass.” Usually in boots.
Bek and the Starlight Revue
https://www.bekandthestarlightrevue.com/
Teamed with the Starlight Revue, Mountain Grrl Experience Co-organizer Bek Smallwood delivers a reverb drenched night of rock-n’-roll
Bee Taylor
“Bee Taylor is an artist and lyricist who’s melodies will conjure up all the feelings of a mysterious night in New Orleans.
Whether you want to parade down the streets or peek inside a shade drawn window, she is not one to miss the appointment of jazz, funk, roots, and soul.
Growing up on a cattle ranch in East Texas, Bee is no stranger to working for what you want. As a teenager she raised piglets and took them to market to buy her first guitar.
Moving to Nashville soon after, she discovered the music of Django Reinhardt, Howlin’ Wolf, Tom Waits, and Dr. John, among many others.
She fell in love with the New Orleans style of piano playing, and on June 6th, 2019 she took her last $100 to buy her first piano. On the way home, she got a call that her new musical hero, Dr. John, had passed away. She vowed that day to teach to herself how to play in the NOLA style, and has been touring the U.S. with her band doing just that.
If you’re wanting a unique experience of musical and lyrical gumbo, Bee Taylor is the show to see.”
- Tes Hill, LBS Magazine
Chelsea Nolan
www.chelseanolanmusic.com
Chelsea Nolan, is building a fire. Lit by growing up in arguably the most beautiful countrysides in the nation, surrounded by self-taught musicians who could play the pants off most any instrument, and occasionally guided by big brother and fellow singer-songwriter, Josh Nolan, Chelsea has found a way to shine a light on all the dirty corners of life. Saying more in one line than most do in an entire song, her stories are candid, gritty, real, and they carry you right along with her through the heartbreak, humility, and life lessons learned.
With crowds soon singing their favorite lines like, “You’d steal the pennies off a dead man’s eyes”, “You’re what rock bottom looks like”, “We stay wild enough to shoot at, you can put that on our stones”, and “You’re the one I look for when I’m ready to go home”, Chelsea found herself being pushed to record her songs, and though initially hesitant, finally decided it was the right time.
Having graduated from songwriter stages to festival main stages (Master Musicians, Well Crafted, Kickin’ It On The Creek, Red Fest) in less than a year, Chelsea is carving her own path and making quick work of it.
We are so happy to have Chelsea back for the 3rd year in a row at Mountain Grrl Experience, this time with her full band!
Emily Jamerson
“Child of Appalachia | seeking balance 🌱”
Watch Emily’s Dead Street Sessions-Mountain Grrl Edition video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAuLhboOLjE
Sarah Kate Morgan with Megan Gregory
www.sarahkatemorgan.com
Sarah Kate Morgan started her musical journey at 7 years old when she was introduced to old-time music through a dulcimer that her grandfather built. From there, she has gone on to develop a uniquely intricate and virtuosic style inspired by the traditional Appalachian music she grew up with in rural East Tennessee.
At 18, Sarah placed 1st at the 2012 National Mountain Dulcimer Championships held in Winfield, KS. She recently graduated from Morehead State University in eastern Kentucky with degrees in Traditional Music, Appalachian Studies, and Arts Administration. Sarah Kate also performs as a regular member of the Michelle Canning Band , calls square dances, attempts to quilt and grow things in her garden garden, and works at the Hindman Settlement School in eastern Kentucky as the Traditional Arts Education Director.
Zoe Howard & Yellow Line
https://zoehoward-music.com/
Zoe Howard is an Appalachian Rock artist from Salyersville , KY, located in the beautiful hills of East Ky. She has taken the stage at the Mountain Arts Center several times as well as other venues. She writes original songs about her life , people around her, and the beautiful state of Kentucky!! Check out all her songs on all digital media and on hard copy CD’s as well .
Good Ground
The Allen Sisters are students of the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music. They bring beautiful harmony and a beautiful message to Mountain Grrl Experience.
Kelly Caldwell
A Dayton, Ohio native, Kelly Caldwell soon moved to Southeastern Kentucky where she would discover that her bluegrass and traditional music roots run deep. While acquiring the soulful, gospel harmonies from her mother, she learned to play the guitar from her father, a die-hard rocker. Caldwell has opened for award winning acts such as Leanne Womack and has shared the stage with many bluegrass legends including Bobby Osborne of the Osborne Brothers.
Caldwell was featured in several issues of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, a premier publication for bluegrass musicians and has traveled extensively to more than 35 states and Canada performing bluegrass music and leading workshops. In December 2006, Caldwell was selected to perform along with 18 cast members in the Broadway inspired musical “An Appalachian Christmas” at New York’s own Carnegie Hall. In July 2022, Caldwell completed a European Tour and logged a premier performance for the Queen of Denmark. A skilled multi-instrumentalist, Caldwell has captured several winning titles including Kentucky Fellowship of Musicians “Band Champion” and “Best in Lead Vocals.” Her original tunes and covers with a twist offer something for everyone.
The Price Sisters
Lauren and Leanna, The Price Sisters, have now performed at numerous venues and festivals across the United States as well as in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Canada. The Sisters released their first full-length album for Rebel Records, "A Heart Never Knows," in the spring of 2018.
Lauren is a five-time instructor at the Monroe Mandolin Camp and continues to be an in-demand instructor at music camps across North America, having added the DelFest Academy, Camp Bluegrass, and more to her teaching roster. In June of 2019, Lauren was honored with a feature interview for Mandolin Cafe. Leanna has been a featured artist in Fiddler Magazine, presently works as an apprentice of set-up and repair at Nashville's The Violin Shop, and is a frequent fiddler on WSM's Grand Ole Opry.
Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has featured articles on The Price Sisters in two separate issues to date; both releases on Rebel Records earned "highlight" reviews in the magazine as well. The Price Sisters have garnered significant press through outlets such as No Depression, Paste Magazine, For Folk's Sake, The Bluegrass Situation, and The Eddie Stubbs Show. Lauren and Leanna have been Artists in Residense for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY, performing bluegrass music programming across 24 area elementary schools. The Price Sisters band collectively has been nominated for the International Bluegrass Music Association's (IBMA) Momentum Band of the Year (2019) while Lauren has received nominations for Momentum Vocalist and Instrumentalist of the Year (2019 and 2020, respectively) and Leanna for Momentum Vocalist (2020.) The group has also been featured as an official showcase act for the IBMA, and has appeared at ROMP, DelFest, the University of Chicago's Folklife Festival, Bean Blossom, and . Presently, The Price Sisters have signed on to McCoury Music and are anticipating their first record for the label, produced by Ronnie McCoury, to be released in 2023.
Luna and the Mountain Jets
“A Pepsi Girl in a Coca Cola town” is the best way to describe Luna of Luna and the Mountain Jets. She wasn’t like her 8 siblings, much to her mother’s chagrin. Raised in the small town of Martha Kentucky, her dad made a meager living in the oil industry and her mother was a homemaker. There wasn’t money to go places and do things, however Luna was transported by the music on AM radio and television shows like Friday Night Special and Band Stand. Long bus rides to school allowed her and her friends to sing songs to pass the time. This passion for singing stayed with her into adulthood. After years of playing in clubs and fairs, Luna was invited by country artist Tyler Childers to sing her song, “That Thing You Said” with him on stage at the Ryman Auditorium in February of 2020. She has been picked to open for Childers at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado on September 2022. Luna’s music is rooted in stories from her life and experiences. She calls it “Appalachian Rock” as it is a mix of folk stories backed by rock and roll drums and guitars. lunaandthemountainjets.com
Building Rockets
Building Rockets bring their brand of "Appalachian Space Rock” to the Mountain Grrl Experience stage this year. Led by Greenup, Kentucky native, Emily Jamison who says “We like to push the boundaries of what it means to be Appalachian. We love traditional music, but also like to bring our own unique personalities and playing styles together to make music we could only possibly make together.”
Their debut EP, Space Camp, tells their stories of family, love, life, and loss through edgy, genre-crossing musicality. Influenced by their country roots, rock rebellion, the blues, and everything in between every song brings something different.
Them Lasses
A fun and folksy trio of pickin', singin' and songwritin' women!
Tia Woods
Tia Woods is a musician, educator, and activist from Rush, Kentucky. She has been singing her entire life but playing guitar and songwriting are relatively new. Her self titled debut album, produced by fellow Mountain Grrl Carla Gover, is out on all streaming platforms. She performs with the girl band Pink Ladies and is an educator and activist in her community. Every summer on the first Saturday of June, her family and friends host the Wildflower Festival: a space for artists and art lovers to gather, share, and appreciate creativity, culture, and community. https://mstiawoods.com/
Mady Goins
For years Madylin “Mady” Goins has grown accustomed to being behind the lens as she photographs her favorite musicians from Kentucky and beyond. From just south of Lexington in Nicholasville, the honky tonk angel is now doing a role reversal, hopping into the spotlight to welcome people into her life with nothing more than her voice and an acoustic guitar.
Check out Mady’s recent performance at Bluegrass Barrel House to see why we love her! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsOnf9krI1g
Brittany Avery Mullins
Brittany Avery Mullins is originally from Columbus Georgia, but has found her roots in the beautiful Mountains of Pound Virginia. She is an award singer songwriter whose style is a mix of classic country to her very own sassy heartfelt sound.
The Lil’ Mountain Mamas
Adalyn Ramey—-Mia Lequire—-Erin Grace Rudd—-Kendra Slone—-Ava O’Bryan
These members of the Kentucky Opry Junior Pros have worked hard to develop their skill and have the talent to take them as far as their dreams can go.
The Lil’ Mountain Mamas will perform in the Lil’ Mountain Mama Jam, opening for Rebecca Lynn Howard with special guests, Zoe Howard and voice teacher extraordinaire, Janean Michelle Freeman.
Music Education is an integral part of our culture here in Eastern Kentucky.
Rebecca Lynn Howard started at a very young age, just as these Mountain Grrls have.
It’s only fitting that we honor her journey by way of looking into the future of young female musicians in Appalachia.
Rose Stage Performances
Cara Coppola
Cara Coppola is a mom, writer, singer/songwriter, Allegro Dance Project musician and Foster Parent Educator who lives in Lexington with her younger daughter Willow, who has multiple disabilities. Disability and Inclusion, motherhood, writing, books, and nature are all prevalent in her original songs that she’s put into her own genre, HymnFolk Blues, which is also the title of her new EP (on all streaming platforms). Growing up surrounded by the music of Nina Simone, Simon and Garfunkel and Frank Sinatra, combined with years of Suzuki viola lessons and eighteen years of Catholic choir have melted into her own sound, steeped in the blues of her reality of pushing a wheelchair through an inaccessible world, sprinkled with the folk sounds of her tree hugging soul, and resonating with the hymns she grew up singing in harmony with her sister and mother. She is currently planning a small single-mama style mini-tour of her EP this summer, follow Cara Coppola, Music at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064047342138 for upcoming dates.
Cydney McCoy
Belfry, Kentucky native, Cydney McCoy has been singing since she was in the 3rd grade, usually with her dad, Charlie accompanying her on guitar. She enjoys music of all kinds ranging from bluegrass to classic rock to metal. A regular at Pikeville’s Open Mic Nights, Cydney is proud to be a part of the Mountain Grrl Experience this year.
Oak Tree Story Hour
with your host, Dara Riley.
Mothercreek
Husband and wife duo, Chris and Dara Riley. A blend of Appalachian folk rock with a touch of classical and metal influence.
Jessy Workman
Jessy Workman is a vocalist with a powerful voice, with a message of strength and perseverance. Her soulful voice is reminiscent of powerhouses like Amy Winehouse and Adele with the softness of Olive Klug and Holly Humberstone.
Stoner Creek Shakedown
Folksy bluegrass duo (John Soper on banjo, Sarah Fightmaster on mandolin) is from Bourbon County, KY. Sarah has been with us since the first Mountain Grrl Experience, sharing her smiles, her crafts and her Gypsy Wings Kids Tent with all of us here in East Ky. We love these folks. You will too!
Janean Freeman
Janean is one of our region's music educators who's been singing and playing old-timey music since she was a child. She's thrilled to be performing a set of songs at this year's Mountain Grrl Experience. You can catch Janean and her autoharp, Maybelle, on the Rose Stage on Friday at 3:30pm.
Dawn Newheart
Dawn has been working with vibrational healing since coming to Kentucky in 1995, where she first experienced energy medicine. That summer she experienced the beauty of the Kentucky’s rolling hills and Lexington’s music scene and decided this would be a good place to raise a family. She left Ohio and came to Kentucky in 1997 with her eldest daughter. Healing has been the focus of Dawn’s career, independently studying nutrition and herbal medicine, and becoming a massage therapist in 2000. Her work now focuses on helping facilitate trauma integration with Cranial Sacral Therapy. In the last several years Dawn has been exploring playing music as another route to healing and reparenting undeveloped parts of herself. She is thrilled to be part of The Moutaingrrrl Experience this year!
