Coolest (unpaid) gig EVER (warning: country music-related)

[pinkfloydcramer61]

My band played for Marty Stuart's hometown (Philadelphia, MS) B-day celebration Thursday night. Event was at a historic downtown theatre with limited seating. Marty S. was onstage with us for much of the night, just sitting in and having a good time while we played his songs and some older country classics.

 

A real treat and honor was being able to back up his wife- country legend Connie Stevens- on her hit "Once a Day". She still looked and sounded GREAT. But what really blew my mind was Marty's total ease and command of performing. He played some mind-blowing, jaw-dropping etc. solo mandolin and backed himself equally impressively on acoustic guitar on some vocal numbers. I tend to do the thing when I hear the word "star" but dammit- the man is a STAR through and through (there IS such a thing!).

 

My band really outdid themselves with the material they had to learn and the way they pulled the show off. I was by far, the weakest link- and the least important as very little of the original music even had piano on it -athough one musical guest (and long-term friend of MS), a female pastor of a local congregation, did bring the house down with her gospel singing and piano playing- making me glad that I even brought the damned thing.

 

All in all, a very memorable evening.

[ski219]

Didn't he start out as a 13-year old guitar picker with JC or something like that? Cool story.

[wheresgrant3]

My band played for Marty Stuart's hometown (Philadelphia, MS) B-day celebration Thursday night. Event was at a historic downtown theatre with limited seating. Marty S. was onstage with us for much of the night, just sitting in and having a good time while we played his songs and some older country classics. A real treat and honor was being able to back up his wife- country legend Connie Stevens- on her hit "Once a Day". She still looked and sounded GREAT. But what really blew my mind was Marty's total ease and command of performing. He played some mind-blowing, jaw-dropping etc. solo mandolin and backed himself equally impressively on acoustic guitar on some vocal numbers. I tend to do the thing when I hear the word "star" but dammit - the man is a STAR through and through (there IS such a thing!). My band really outdid themselves with the material they had to learn and the way they pulled the show off. I was by far, the weakest link- and the least important as very little of the original music even had piano on it -athough one musical guest (and long-term friend of MS), a female pastor of a local congregation, did bring the house down with her gospel singing and piano playing- making me glad that I even brought the damned thing. All in all, a very memorable evening.

 

 

I vaguely know who Marty Stuart is (I dated a girl in the 90's for a little while and she was into new country-Tritt, Stuart, Alan Jackson). In any case that is AWESOME! I think it's always terrific when you have an opportunity to gig with an established touring artist. It brings your game to a whole new level.

[cooterbrown]

 

Didn't he start out as a 13-year old guitar picker with JC or something like that? Cool story.

 

 

He was around 20 when he played with Johnny Cash.

But before that, he was playing with bluegrass legends like Roland White, Lester Flatt, and Vassar Clements.

Sort of the same way (and time frame) that Ricky Scaggs and Keith Whitley came up.

[ChordGirl]

Excellent!

[rhat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6nmib7UaKA

 

Here ya go ,,,