![]() It's a collection of songs that celebrates the Appalachian culture of her native West Virginia, and expands the vocabulary of acoustic roots music that has always served as her artistic center. For Kathy Mattea, it also represents an essential piece of her musical education and heritage.Ĭalling Me Home is Kathy's new release on Sugar Hill Records, co-produced with multi-Grammy-winner Gary Paczosa. She has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts including the number one hits "Goin' Gone," "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses," "Come From the Heart" and "Burnin' Old Memories." She is a multiple Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music® and Grammy Award winner.ĪPPALACHIAN: of a wild and beautiful mountain land, a genre of distinctly American music, and for many, the deep roots of family. In September 2021, she replaced Larry Groce as host of Mountain Stage.Kathy's concerts present her new and most recent material alongside her Top 20 radio hits: from the signature ballad "Where've You Been?" to the bluesy "455 Rocket" to the iconic "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses." Long known as an impeccable songcatcher, her 17 albums are woven through with bluegrass, gospel, and Celtic influences. She offers one-on-one mentoring to students, presents lectures in classes, and leads masterclasses with the WVU Bluegrass and Old-Time Bands. She was named a Distinguished Artist in Residence in the WVU School of Music for the 2019-20 academic year. In 2011, she was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. In response she released an album entitled Coal, a collection of songs about coal mining. Mattea was greatly affected by the 2006 Sago mine explosion. Soon afterward, Mattea became the first Nashville star to speak openly about AIDS and participate in programs to benefit AIDS research. She was named the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year in 19. In 1988, Kathy Mattea married Jon Vezner, who had written several of her hit songs. In 1986, ‘‘Walk the Way the Wind Blows’’ became her first major hit, and she also recorded the autobiographical ‘‘Leaving West Virginia.’’ Subsequent top hits have included ‘‘Goin’ Gone,’’ ‘‘Love at the Five & Dime,’’ ‘‘Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses,’’ ‘‘Come from the Heart,’’ and ‘‘Burnin’ Old Memories.’’ This led to a contract with Mercury Records in 1983 and her debut album the following year. Eventually, she began singing ‘‘demo’’ recordings of other songwriters’ material for music publishing companies. Two years later, she relocated to Nashville, working as a tour guide among other jobs. In 1976, Mattea entered West Virginia University and joined a band called Pennsboro. In junior high school she learned to play the guitar, and in high school she practiced her vocal skills singing classical music in choir class. Mattea was born on June 21, 1959, in South Charleston, Kanawha County, and she grew up in nearby Cross Lanes. Musician Kathleen Alice ‘‘Kathy’’ Mattea is one of West Virginia’s principal contemporary country singers, with 27 Top 40 songs to her credit. E-WV | Kathy Mattea | Back to e-WV The West Virginia Encyclopedia ![]()
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