A lot of people who came of age listening to the Grand Ole Opry know Little Jimmy Dickens. With his clever songs and his rhinestone-studded outfits, the West Virginia native influenced a generation of performers. Now he’s remembered in a new book of poetry.
LISTEN: Shemekia Copeland Has Our Mountain Stage Song Of the Week
Shemekia Copeland performing on Mountain Stage in Huntington, W.Va. in April 2021.BRIAN BLAUSER
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This week’s encore broadcast goes back to April 2021 for a special celebration of Huntington, West Virginia’s 150th anniversary.
Mountain Stage was presented by The Marshall Artist Series & the Huntington 150 Committee, and our guest artists included St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Shemekia Copeland, AJ Croce, Ona, and a special appearance by WV Poet Laureate Marc Harshman.
Our Song of the Week is by award winning blues vocalist Shemekia Copeland, who performed “Walk Until I Ride” from her recent release, Uncivil War.
Walk Until I Ride – Shemekia Copeland
Recorded in Huntington, WV April 2021 as part of the Huntington 150 Celebration
Hear the entire set from Copeland, plus exciting performances by southern soul troupe St. Paul & the Broken Bones, songwriter, pianist and guitarist AJ Croce, Huntington’s own indie-rockers Ona, and a moving reading by poet Marc Harshman.
1 of 6 — Stadium Happy Birthday
A happy birthday graphic displayed on the screen at Joan C. Edwards stadium in Huntington, W.Va.
BRIAN BLAUSER / Mountain Stage
2 of 6 — St. Paul & The Broken Bones, 2021
Paul Janeway of St. Paul & The Broken Bones performing on Mountain Stage in April, 2021
A lot of people who came of age listening to the Grand Ole Opry know Little Jimmy Dickens. With his clever songs and his rhinestone-studded outfits, the West Virginia native influenced a generation of performers. Now he’s remembered in a new book of poetry.
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Our Song of the Week comes from The Critton Hollow String Band, a band that has been performing traditional American music to audiences around the world since 1975. The trio stopped by Mountain Stage during their 50th anniversary and performed a handful of songs, including "A Better Life to Find," which is our Song of the Week. The song features an old melody and a traditional refrain, with lyrics updated by the group's Joe Herrmann.