New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Today, Marty
Stuart shares his new cover of Johnny Rivers' "Poor Side Of Town" the sixth track off Songs I Sing In The Dark, a collection of songs recorded acoustically at Marty's former home outside of Nashville.
Stuart shares about the song: "One of the smiles the Songs I Sing in the Dark series has brought is, some of the songs have taken me back in a heartfelt way to my earliest days as a musician, to a time when I was falling head over heels in love with music. Those hot Mississippi summers of the 1960s were defined by the songs on the radio, adding records to my stack, watching my favorite musical television shows, and the pure joy of becoming a guitar player. It felt so noble. The ultimate thrill was getting to actually take my Fender guitar somewhere and playing it for the people. Gospel music, country music, rhythm & blues, soul, and rock & roll seemed to meet me wherever I'd go. After all, we're talking Mississippi. When you cross the state line the sign reads, "Welcome to Mississippi, the Birthplace of American Music." It's a place where every denomination of music is welcomed, and I fell right in line with that way of thinking. In the 1960s, Johnny Rivers was especially popular in the
Magnolia State. His songs seemed to just float along on the breeze and make themselves at home wherever they landed. His music paid no attention to categorical boundaries, and bands from almost every genre played his songs. Johnny Rivers was sharp. His red Gibson guitar, stylish clothes, modern hair, California vibe, sneer, and especially his radio songs made him among the coolest of cats in my eyes. I was a guitar goner the first time I heard his recording of "Secret Agent Man." I still think it's one of the baddest records of all time. Johnny Rivers has so many great songs to his credit, but his and Lou Adler's composition of "Poor Side of Town" is the one that has followed me around year after year. I've always loved to sing it just so I can play the famous guitar lick that is so much a part of the song.
When Johnny came to guest on my television show, I requested that he do "Poor Side of Town." He obliged, and it sounded wonderful. That encounter was the one, and only time I have ever been in the same room as Johnny Rivers. He's a great artist, an essential, timeless cat…and I believe with all my heart that he deserves to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And, "Poor Side of Town" is just one of the many reasons why."
Marty
Stuart will share a new song from the album a month, alongside a personal statement about each song's importance, both personally and in the context of country music.
Stuart said of his new collection, "The title tells the story. I have a long line of songs that range from obscure, originals, to favorites from various musical worlds that I often sing to myself when I'm alone. Until recently, I had never formally made a list of all the titles. When I did, I saw in those titles so many great songs that need to be remembered and passed down. There was a mighty congregation of names of profound songwriters whose presence and lyrics are to be cherished. And, looking into those songs I could hear the music of those brilliant musicians, arrangers, and singers who brought those tunes to life, and gave the world reason to love them. In the wake of these revelations, I was inspired to finally go to work on the idea of Songs I Sing in the Dark."
Recently, The Country
Music Association announced the induction of Marty
Stuart into the Country
Music Hall of Fame's class of 2020 in the
Modern Era Artist category.
Stuart is inducted alongside Dean Dillon (Songwriter Category) and
Hank Williams Jr. (Veterans Era Artist). "It is the ultimate honor in Country Music," says Stuart. "I'm so honored to be included in this class and I'm honored to be included alongside Hank Jr. and Dean Dillon. I love those people. To be officially inducted into the Country
Music Hall of Fame is beyond words. I'm usually not at a loss for words." Details regarding a formal induction ceremony for Dillon,
Stuart and Williams will be released as information is available. Full information about the class of 2020 inductees is available on the CMA site.
Stuart is currently raising funds and awareness for The Marty
Stuart Congress of Country
Music (MSCCM) in Philadelphia, Mississippi which will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of country music through live musical performance and educational programming. This tribute to the culture and rural ethics of
America will be presented in a world-class country music museum and performing arts center. Marty
Stuart has assembled a collection that spans over 20,000 pieces to tell a rich, emotional, and personal story of the lives of our common heritage. The $30 million project will create a 50,000+ square foot campus featuring the historic and recently renovated Ellis Theater, a newly constructed museum, classrooms, a community hall, meeting and event space, and a rooftop performance venue. MSCCM will embrace the roots of country music in its educational curriculum and programming. Changing displays will include internationally travelled artifacts and memorabilia, photography, outsider/folk art and Native American crafts. These art forms represent country music's history and foreshadow its future. Musical programming will feature both legendary stars and the emerging artists of tomorrow.
Marty
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.
Marty
Stuart Tour Dates
Sat 4
September Temple Theater Lufkin, TX
Fri 10
September Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua Bayfield, WI
Sat 11
September Door Community Auditorium Fish Creek, WI
Thu 16
September Edmonds Center For The Arts Edmonds, WA
Fri 17
September Lincoln Theatre Center Mt. Vernon, WA
Sat 18
September Admiral Theatre Bremerton, WA
Sun 19
September Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
Tue 21
September Freight & Salvage Berkeley, CA
Wed 22
September Freight & Salvage Berkeley, CA
Thu 23
September Crest Theatre Sacramento, CA
Fri 24
September Crystal Bay Club Casino Crystal Bay, NV
Sat 25
September Uptown Theatre Napa Napa, CA
Sun 26
September The Chapel San Francisco, CA
Wed 29
September The Fremont Theater San Luis Obispo, CA
Thu 30
September Sunset Center Carmel, CA
Sat 2 October Rialto Theatre Tucson, AZ
Sun 3 October Lensic Performing Arts Center
Santa Fe, NM
Mon 4 October Albuquerque Journal Theatre Albuquerque, NM
Fri 15 October Narrows Center For The Arts Fall River, MA
Sat 16 October Stone Mountain Arts Center Brownfield, ME
Sun 17 October Bethel Woods Center For The Arts Bethel, NY
Wed 20 October The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
Thu 21 October The Blue Note Columbia, MO
Fri 22 October Sheldon Concert Hall St Louis, MO
Sat 23 October Englert Theatre Iowa City, IA
Sun 24 October Ordway Concert Hall St. Paul, MN
Thu 28 October Gateway City Arts Holyoke, MA
Fri 29 October Center For The Arts Of Homer Homer, NY
Sat 30 October Penn's Peak Jim Thorpe, PA
Thu 4 November Kenneth & Ramona Cherry Theater Columbia, TN
Sat 6 November Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center Huntingdon, TN
Thu 11 November Florida Theatre Jacksonville, FL
Thu 18 November Victory Theatre Evansville, IN
Fri 19 November Blue Gate Performing Arts Center Shipshewana, IN
Sat 20 November Stoughton Opera House Stoughton, WI
Fri 17 December Walker Theatre Chattanooga, TN
Sat 18 December Bijou Theatre Knoxville, TN
Sat 15 January Gary &
Laura Maurer Concert Hall Chicago, IL.
