Kentucky's music heritage: An interview with state commissioner Mike Mangeot

Few people know as much – or are as passionate – about Kentucky's rich musical heritage as Mike Mangeot, who serves as the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Tourism. We catch up with him to discover the state's rhythms are far more diverse than we think, Mike's personal hidden gems and how visitors can best soak up its vibrant music scene...

What do you love most about Kentucky's musical heritage?

"For one, I think our music heritage is like a lot of Kentucky. It's a little bit unknown until you start pointing out and mentioning names and you see people like, well, I didn't know those folks were born in Kentucky, or from Kentucky. I guess the simple answer is what I love is the diversity and longevity of our musical heritage. We’re the birthplace of bluegrass music, which got its name from Bill Monroe's band. They were all from Kentucky and they were know as the Blue Grass Boys. We're talking about the 1920s and '30s here but later on you've got artists like Ricky Skaggs and J.D. Crowe, who are all in the in the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Then you have newer generations like Sam Bush, who brought some more eclectic elements to bluegrass, so much so that it's now called 'newgrass'.

"That's just bluegrass. You look at the impact Kentucky has had on country music with people like Loretta Lynn, who was born in Butcher Hollow, as well as her sister Crystal Gayle. There's Tom T. Hall, who was a huge country star during the 1950s and '60s and we move through to more contemporary artists like The Judds, Dwight Yoakam and Billy Ray Cyrus. The list goes on. Interestingly, they all grew up within a certain distance on what they call the Country Music Highway (US Highway 23) in Eastern Kentucky, whose Country Music Highway Museum is a great place to visit.

"Moving onto rock and roll, there's the Everly Brothers, who are iconic figures in rock and roll and one of music's very early boybands. They were born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Look at Kentucky's music today and you've got bands like My Morning Jacket or Jack Harlow, who is probably one of the biggest stars in hip hop right now. He's from Louisville, Kentucky, in the Shelbyville area. So this is the kind of diversity I'm talking about. I love sharing that with people who have no idea about the impact that Kentuckians have had on music." 

Mike's music highlight

US Highway 23 Country Music Highway Museum

 Located along Kentucky's most hallowed highway, the US Highway 23 Country Music Highway Museum celebrates the lives of the state's musical legends who grew up along it and in Eastern Kentucky. Exhibitions chart the life and careers of Loretta Lynn, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Stapleton and many more, while visitors can listen to weekly live bluegrass sessions too.

What's the best way for visitors to experience the state's music heritage?

"The great thing about our music heritage is it's not centralised in one part of the state. For example, two of our major music landmarks, Loretta Lynn's Homeplace at Butcher Hollow and Bill Monroe’s Homeplace in Rosine are on opposite ends of the state. But don't just come in and see some of those historic venues or museums, like the Country Music Highway Museum , but also take advantage of some of the live music venues and festivals. We have incredible music festivals, from brass band festivals to hard rock festivals and alternative festivals to big Americana festivals throughout the summer and autumn. People come from all over the country to experience them, with the four-day festival Bourbon & Beyond each September our biggest festival. Jerusalem Ridge has a bluegrass festival in September at Bill Monroe's Homeplace. Then, The Burl in Lexington is next to the distillery district, which does a great job of highlighting local bands. So, no matter what your preference is on genre of music, there's usually a music festival here in Kentucky to meet that."

Mike’s music highlight

Butcher Hollow

Located in Johnson County, Butcher Hollow is the birthplace of Loretta Lynn, the ‘Queen of Country Music'. Visit her family home, where she was known as the ‘coal miner’s daughter’ and performed songs alongside her sister, Crystal Gayle, about the coal-mining community that lived here in the mountains.

What would visitors find most surprising about Kentucky's music scene?

"Alongside our popular festivals, there are smaller festivals in Kentucky like the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset. These have highlighted a lot of bands when they weren't well known, who have then gone on to really do some incredible things. Bands like Counting Crows came through and, even though they’re not a Kentucky band, it offers visitors who aren’t so interested in the big festivals a much more intimate festival to visit. I think that surprises people. There’s the Spirit in the Bluegrass Music Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park, too.

"These festivals give people an opportunity to visit for something they're truly passionate about with their music, go to a concert and, while they're here, learn so much more about Kentucky, whether that's bourbon, horses or our culinary scene. The best thing is when people realise a band is from Kentucky and then see the impact Kentucky has had on the music scene. They then might visit the town that band is from, see how vibrant it is and that's just another hidden surprise in Kentucky they've unearthed."

Mike’s music highlight

Master Musicians Festival

An outdoor festival held across two days in Somerset, Master Musicians Festival features a multicultural, eclectic playlist in this corner of rural Kentucky. Previous headliners have included Counting Crows, Willie Nelson and Nickel Creek, giving visitors a more intimate experience of these artists that only a small festival like this can bring.

What's the one thing visitors shouldn't miss in Kentucky?

"I'm going to cheat and say two. The first is the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro. It’s an incredible place and they have a regular schedule of entertainment, including concerts. As a visitor, you can go on a tour, pick up an instrument and have a jam. That’s a big part of bluegrass in general in Kentucky, where people in parking lots play their fiddles, guitars or banjos with one another and jam together. You can do that yourself at the museum, which is a really cool nod to the bluegrass music culture.

"The second one that I would say would be the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, which is near London, Kentucky, on Interstate 75. I've named it as it was kind of up and coming about the same time as the Grand Ole Opry was and was broadcast nationally in the 1930s and '40s. There's now a big entertainment complex there, including what they call New Barn, where you can just sit and listen to some really good music. Again, it's not just always Kentucky acts, but a lot of the time it is."

Mike’s music highlight

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum

This Owensboro museum is a great primer for learning about bluegrass and its heritage. There are many exhibits here that walk you through the origins and the journey of this music in Kentucky. You can easily spend an entire day here, as well as listen to live acts performing outdoors. It offers a true community festival experience.

What Kentuckian musical hidden gems would you recommend visitors seeing?

"First up I will suggest Beaver Dam, which is a very small town in Western Kentucky. But they have an amphitheatre there that pulls in big name acts all summer long and that harks back to what I was saying about those small communities that visitors may not visit otherwise. There are places like Lexington and they have their music festivals and they’re fantastic. I would never tell someone not to go there but if you really want to get an idea of the culture of Kentucky, outside of the urban areas, go to Beaver Dam Amphitheatre. Go to the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset. Go to the Great American Brass Band Festival which, believe it or not, is in Danville, which is our oldest city and the first capital of Kentucky. I've been to it a number of times and big ‘oompah’ bands and brass bands come from New Orleans for this. It really is incredibly entertaining. Then you see how our communities buy into that and let visitors see that authentic, small-town Kentucky and that really sells itself. That’s what people remember when they come to Kentucky. They remember how beautiful it was. They remember how friendly the people were. And I think those smaller festivals at times really condensed that down.

"I would say no matter what your preference in music is, we have it. But we're certainly very proud of our heritage of bluegrass music. And it's not just limited to one part of the state. You could spend a week or ten days here and not see all of it, especially when our festivals are going on. Music in Kentucky just goes from strength to strength."

Mike’s music highlight

Beaver Dam Amphitheater

One of Kentucky's musical hidden gems, Beaver Dam Amphitheater is an unsung venue that, over the years, has pulled in world-class artists like Sheryl Crow, The Temptations, Blackberry Smoke and Skid Row. In turn, this has led visitors to stumble across the tiny town of Beaver Dam, home to wild corners like Crystal Lake Park.

Feeling inspired?

For more information, head to the official Kentucky Tourism website.

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