BITTERSWEET, Ky. — I’m lucky enough in my job to travel to so many great places, including many small, rural communities much like the one where I grew up.

 

Often I’m going to experience a festival or a local event, and there are always two things common to all of these places: there’s plenty of local food, and homegrown musical talent.

I recently visited a small town in West Kentucky for an organization’s annual meeting.

The people there were so friendly, the town was so beautiful and the food – well, it was so delicious. As part of the event, a local FFA student sang a song while accompanying himself on the guitar.

As he performed, I looked around the room and noticed how attentive the crowd was, and then how loud the applause was when the young man had finished. He did a great job and you could tell this wasn’t his first rodeo. I’m sure he is asked to play at many local functions.

In another event, in a small town located along the Missouri/Kentucky border, a local group – again comprised of area students – performed a whole set of music before the festivities began. And again, the reaction from the crowd was superb.

The folks who live in these small communities take great pride in their young people and the talent they possess. They are almost always included in local events and these young performers get a chance to show their talent.

There was a time in my hometown when an old time fiddler’s contest was held every month as a fundraiser for a local organization.

 

While it carried the name “fiddler’s contest,” it was really a competition for singers, bands, banjo players and, of course, fiddlers.

One of the first times I performed in public came during one of these contests. It was where I won my first trophy, something I still have after more than 40 years.

Often many of these local performers, young and young at heart, are dreaming of hitting the big time – and occasionally that will happen. But let’s face it, of all the musicians in the world there are few who ever make it to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry.

That doesn’t mean they’re not talented; it’s just a crowded field trying to fill a few select spots in the music industry. So, these local events where these talented musicians begin their “careers” often serve as their only avenues to perform, and that’s okay.

There is no place in the world like my hometown, as is the case for most folks who have grown up in rural America.

The neighborhood event or the stage in the local park provides a place for these homegrown performers to be musical stars in their own right, and their families and friends are their biggest fans.

I encourage you all to support your local talent, applaud loudly when they perform and invite them to any and all festivities that come to your town. And don’t forget the food!

Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody.

From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer his opinions on a variety of new country music each week. Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.