Telling Your Story – Marty Stuart (Season 1 Episode 7)

"It's about the stories."

It’s got all the makings of a really good country song. There’s a train that rumbles through the dreams of a young boy on Route 8, that’s Kosciusko Road, in Philadelphia.

It has church bells and a thousand watts of AM radio. There are mail carriers who loved George Jones, guys named Hoot, and the transformative power of music.

For Marty Stuart, it’s his story. Over the years, he has set pieces of it to music, given his Mississippi raising a voice. Some of his story, he just tells. He tells it like he’s sitting on the porch with old friends or cousins. He tells it with warmth and a love of place and people.

The lyric that winds around Marty is one of loyalty and tribute. He knows every leaf on the country music family tree. He has saved small tokens like a mandolin pick and personal mementos like words of encouragement from the great Bill Monroe.

That’s where the Congress of Country Music started, with acknowledgment from those in the business. Bluegrass, soul, rockabilly, blues. Marty was only nine years old, in his first band with buddies, and dreaming of things to come.

Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music will live in Philadelphia. Marty says it is his dream to share country music through teaching and performance. Acknowledgment. A full circle moment.

Marty is known for having the largest collection of country music artifacts in the world. He plans to share that with visitors as well. Until the museum opens, visitors can see world-class entertainers in the renovated Ellis Theater.

“It’s about the stories. You keep putting the stories together and keep inviting goodness to come,” Marty told our Joey Barnes.

Here’s how to see some of that goodness. You can see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives on the road, headlining shows, and working with friends like Chris Stapleton and Hank Williams, Jr. this year.

Check out the website for Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music and upcoming shows at the Ellis Theater. www.congressofcountrymusic.org

And, you can catch Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives this spring and summer on the road. Here’s a list of their tour dates and locations. martystuart.net

And be sure to listen to Marty’s entire conversation with WCBI’s Joey Barnes right here.