Philip Bowen Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Rock Climbing In Appalachia And Our Song Of The Week, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachia has been a destination for rock climbers for decades, but now more rock-climbing groups are choosing Appalachia as a destination because of its accessibility and inclusiveness. Adaptive sports reporter Emily Chen-Newton has this story.

On this West Virginia Morning, Appalachia has been a destination for rock climbers for decades, but now more rock-climbing groups are choosing Appalachia as a destination because of its accessibility and inclusiveness. Adaptive sports reporter Emily Chen-Newton has this story.

Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from West Virginia native, singer, songwriter, fiddler and TikTok sensation Philip Bowen. Bowen has been named TikTok’s Gamers Greatest Talent and has reached one million followers on the platform. We listen to his performance of his original song “Old Kanawha.”

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from CAMC and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caroline MacGregor, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and producer.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

W.Va. Native To Appear On America’s Got Talent Season Premiere

Philip Bowen, a fiddle-playing social media star and Montgomery, West Virginia native, is set to appear on Tuesday’s episode of America’s Got Talent.

Philip Bowen, a fiddle-playing social media star and Montgomery, West Virginia native, is set to appear on the Tuesday, May 30 episode of America’s Got Talent.

Bowen is one of the featured contestants auditioning for the talent contest. The show will kick off its 18th season.

He’s most known for his viral TikTok series called “Does It Fiddle?” where he improvises melodies over popular songs from different genres.

@philipbowenmusic
Coolio! Keep ‘em coming! I love you guys. #coolio #gangstasparadise #gangstersparadaise #fypシ #violin #mostrequested
♬ Fiddle Paradise – Philip Bowen Music

But he’s also making a name for himself as an Appalachian songwriter. He performed original songs at a Mountain Stage show last January. His song “Old Kanawha” was the program’s March 30 Song of the Week. His debut album, which is named after the song, is also set to release Aug. 18.

Bowen was also a recent subject of West Virginia Public Broadcasting podcast Us & Them. He spoke to host Trey Kay about growing up in Appalachia, and how his songwriting reflects realities of the Mountain State’s coal industry.

“I worked at Cracker Barrel one summer out of college, in Kanawha City. And these coal miners would come in for breakfast, like literally black head to toe,” Bowen said during a sit down interview with Kay about his song “Vampire in Appalachia.” “There’s nobody that’s gonna tell you breathing that stuff in for your whole career is gonna do your body any good. And so I just was getting really frustrated by all of that sacrifice to provide for a family.”

Bowen is not the first native West Virginian to receive attention through America’s Got Talent. Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., a jazz singer from Logan County, won the show’s sixth season.

America’s Got Talent will air Tuesday, May 30 at 8 p.m. on NBC.

U.S. COVID-19 Health Emergency Ends And State Fiddler Talks Inspiration, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, the U.S. has officially canceled the designation of COVID-19 as a public health emergency in the country. Emily Rice has more.

On this West Virginia Morning, the U.S. has officially canceled the designation of COVID-19 as a public health emergency in the country. Emily Rice has more.

Also, in this show, the memories of a Mountain State childhood offer some musicians creative images for a lifetime. Phillip Bowen grew up playing the fiddle, and now the 38-year-old West Virginia native includes songwriting in his portfolio. Bowen will release his first album soon.

In our newest episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay talks with Bowen about his hometown of Montgomery along the Kanawha River and how it shaped his music. In this excerpt, we look at Bowen’s wide range of musical skills.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Concord University and Shepherd University.

Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

A Fiddler Contemplates The Fate Of The Mountain State

West Virginia-born fiddler Phillip Bowen writes songs that reflect love for the place he calls home. His descriptions of the people and places from his childhood touch the ear and heart like a sentimental postcard. But he’s also willing to share songs that remember those who’ve been marginalized or forgotten.

Phillip Bowen grew up playing the fiddle. The 38-year-old learned classical violin as well as how to improvise on the fiddle, combining musical styles and genres. Now, he’s turned to songwriting, becoming a phenomenon on social media. Bowen releases his first album soon, with a wide range of offerings.

Us & Them host Trey Kay talks with Bowen about his music and the songs that focus on memories of things past as well as the Mountain State reality of today. Bowen sings about his small hometown of Montgomery along the Kanawha River; another song mourns the loss of family members, while yet another may just steal the show.

“Vampire in Appalachia” offers a heartbreaking look at the ways his native state has become overshadowed by black lung illness from the coal industry and an opioid crisis that continues to take lives.

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Daywood Foundation and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

Listen to Philip Bowen’s entire performance on Mountain Stage. He appeared on Jan. 8, 2023 at a show recorded at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, West Virgnia. Also on the lineup were: Tim O’Brien Band, David Mayfield Parade, Dirty Grass Players and Lauren Calve.

Kathy Mattea introduces West Virginia native Philip Bowen to a packed auditorium at a recording of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s *Mountain Stage*. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Philip Bowen performing his original tunes about West Virginia with the Mountain Stage Band. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

“There’s a vampire in Appalachia and we’re running out of blood.” — Montgomery, West Virginia native Philip Bowen.

Watch a video of Philip Bowen performing ”Vampire in Appalachia” live on Mountain Stage.

*Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Philip Bowen is a TikTok sensation with a series of posts he calls “Does It Fiddle?” For this, he takes a popular song from a genre you’d never imagine would feature a fiddle and he makes it funky. This TikTok post, which features Bowen improvising a fiddle solo over Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise,” has garnered 1.2 million views and counting. *Credit: Philip Bowen’s TikTok*

Gary Bowen, of Montgomery, West Virginia, shows the tiny violin that his son Philip learned to play when he was four years old. *Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

This Charleston Gazette clipping features 10-year-old Philip Bowen performing in a fiddle competition at the Vandalia Gathering. The gathering is an Appalachian folk arts festival that’s been held every Memorial Day Weekend on the grounds of the West Virginia State Capitol since 1977. *Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

Lou Ann and Gary Bowen in the parlor of their home in Montgomery, West Virginia. Their house sits on the bank of the Kanawha River, which is the subject of their son’s song “Old Kanawha.” *Credit: Trey Kay/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

For 40 years, Larry Groce has vetted acts for the popular radio program *Mountain Stage*, a show that he co-founded. Groce says he loves a good fiddler.

“You know, a fiddle is probably the closest thing to a human voice expression, because you can do so much with the fiddle. You can make it cry, You can make it laugh,” Groce told *Us & Them* host Trey Kay. “To me, the very best people are the most expressive. It’s not the ones who can play the fastest, not the ones who can, you know, impress you with their gymnastics. It’s the people who talk to you with their instrument and make you feel like you’re experiencing something that’s almost a physical place… I think Philip understands what his licks mean and why he’s playing them… He can play well. But I think he’s got the heart and the soul is his strong suit.”

*Credit: The Charleston Gazette-Mail*

After Philip Bowen’s debut performance on *Mountain Stage*, host Kathy Mattea congratulates him with a hug. *Credit: Chris Morris/Mountain Stage*

Hiking The Appalachian Trail And Our Song Of The Week On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, the Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine, and North Carolina native, Jennifer Pharr Davis has not only through-hiked the trail three times, but she has also set records for speed. Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams talks to Davis about her love of hiking and what it takes to get started.

On this West Virginia Morning, the Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine, and North Carolina native, Jennifer Pharr Davis has not only through-hiked the trail three times, but she has also set records for speed. Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams talks to Davis about her love of hiking and what it takes to get started.

Also, in this show, our Mountain Stage Song of the Week comes to us from West Virginia native, singer, songwriter, fiddler, and Tiktok sensation Philip Bowen. We listen to his performance of “The Old Kanawha.”

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Caroline MacGregor, Curtis Tate, Chris Schulz, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, Randy Yohe, and Shepherd Snyder.

Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and our producer.

Eric Douglas is our news director.

Teresa Wills and Chuck Anziulewicz are our hosts.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Listen: W.Va. Native Philip Bowen Has The Mountain Stage Song Of The Week

This week’s show features long-time Mountain Stage favorite Tim O’Brien and his band, joined on this week’s line-up by David Mayfield Parade, Dirty Grass Players, Philip Bowen, and Lauren Calve. Join us on one of these NPR stations starting Friday, March 31, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a note.

This week’s show features long-time Mountain Stage favorite Tim O’Brien and his band, joined on this week’s line-up by David Mayfield Parade, Dirty Grass Players, Philip Bowen, and Lauren Calve. Join us on one of these NPR stations starting Friday, March 31, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you never miss a note.

Our Song of the Week comes from West Virginia native, singer, songwriter, fiddler, and Tiktok sensation, Philip Bowen. Bowen has been named TikTok’s Gamers Greatest Talent, and he’s approaching one million followers on the platform.

While he’s beloved on the web for his fiddling covers of popular songs, his original song “The Old Kanawha,” is our Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

Bowen has a song being released this weekend, “Sweet, Honey,” the first single off his upcoming debut album.

Hear the entire set from Bowen, plus live performances by the Tim O’Brien Band, David Mayfield Parade, Lauren Calve and the Dirty Grass Players on this week’s episode of Mountain Stage with host Kathy Mattea.

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