Heart & Soul
Touring Kentucky’s Country Music Highway
By Erin Deinzer
Country music was once described as “Three chords and the truth.” While some might disagree with that assessment, there’s no arguing that country music is an indigenous art form that is uniquely American.
For those of us raised in an urban environment, it’s difficult to fully understand the depth of a musical tradition homed in the coal-fed hills of rural Appalachia. But we can still appreciate the pull of a melancholy tune on our heartstrings or feel an emotional connection to song lyrics that resonate in our collective souls.
So it was that I embarked on a trip through Eastern Kentucky to experience firsthand the Country Music Highway (CMH), a designated National Scenic Byway that weaves its way through seven counties. Tucked into a region of America steeped in the bluegrass twangs of yesteryear and blessed with a natural beauty brush-stroked by dazzling shades of green, this corner of the land Daniel Boone once roamed lies like a sleeping beauty awaiting true love’s kiss.
The CMH runs south-to-north along U.S. 23 through the Kentucky highlands. Officially starting at Greenup, the first town of note is Ashland, home to Wynonna and Naomi; aka, The Judds. To learn more about this mother/daughter duo who possessed a unique harmony unlike anything previously heard in country music, I visited the Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, a downtown facility dedicated to the preservation of Eastern Kentucky’s cultural and industrial heritage. There, the Country Music Heritage Hall features memorabilia personally gifted by the duo.
Another area musician is Miley Cyrus’ dad: Billy Ray. Though he burst onto the country-western scene as an adult with the catchy, “Achy-Breaky Heart,” the elder Cyrus was singing in his father’s gospel quartet and his mother’s bluegrass band before he was old enough to go to school. In Ashland, Cyrus has been known to appear at the Paramount Arts Center — considered one of the principal venues along the CMH. Built in 1931 by Paramount Pictures as the first talking movie theater in the Ohio Valley, the facility hosts a diverse array of performers but still maintains its connection to country music.
Perhaps no other singer embodies the region of Eastern Kentucky like Loretta Lynn. The second of eight children born to a coal miner and his wife, Loretta Webb was married at 13 years old to Oliver “Mooney” Lynn, and by 17 she was the mother of four. Given a guitar by her husband, Lynn taught herself to play and write songs. After winning a local talent contest, she was invited by Buck Owens to perform on his TV show and the rest is entertainment history.
If you’ve seen the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter, you know about Lynn’s life growing up in Butcher Holler., located in nearby Van Lear. You can still visit the family home where Lynn, and her other famous sibling, Crystal Gayle, grew up. But to fully understand life in “the holler,” consider a visit to the Kentucky Coal Museum in Benham, where you’ll get an in-depth look at the history of coal mining in the area.
Your next stop of note is in Prestonsburg to take in a performance at the Kentucky Opry in Draffenville. Founded in 1988 by local high school teacher Billie Jean Osborne, the Opry originally featured a cadre of talented young singers and musicians performing different musical styles. Nowadays, the theater hosts a variety of performances as well as a free Bluegrass Night, held the first Friday of the month. Dedicated to preserving and promoting live bluegrass music, donations for the musicians are taken in a “pass the hat” fashion.
Beyond Prestonsburg and essentially at the conclusion of the highway lies the town of Pikeville, home to singer Patty Loveless and honky-tonker Dwight Yoakam. Like Loretta Lynn, Loveless’ father was a coal miner, and she infuses her songs with a heartfelt yearning for better days. Yoakam’s style is more rockabilly, and reflects his time spent playing in both rock and country bands in his early years. Pikesville is also where you can get a further appreciation of the region at the Big Sandy Heritage Center, located in a historic railroad station. At the center are documents from early pioneer days, military weapons from the Civil War, and a collection of equipment and photographs explaining the significance of local industries.
For more information about other talented Kentucky-born musicians, immerse yourself in the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum. Located in Paintsville, it contains 14 exhibits that showcase memorabilia from those already mentioned, as well as other iconic artists like the soulful singer/songwriter Chris Stapleton and Billboard Country Chart topper Keith Whitley.
