Barn-burning honky tonk and hillbilly rock is the hallmark country sound of Marty Stuart, the four-time Grammy winning star who first made his mark on the charts in the 90s.

He is an eclectic traditionalist, performing an array of melodically driven rhythms and heart-rending ballads that lead the charge in preserving the roots, culture and history of traditional country music.

His 14th studio album, Ghost Train: (The Studio B Sessions), has received rave reviews from critics, all of whom herald Stuart to be the ideal crusader and ambassador for that great old-time country sound. The acclaimed 2010 release was recorded in the historic Studio B of RCA, which is now a museum of sorts under the operations of The Country Music Hall of Fame. It’s the very room where Stuart first participated in a recording session (playing mandolin in Lester Flatt’s band when just 13) before joining Johnny Cash’s band for six years, and it is where such greats as Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, Connie Smith, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton and Waylon Jennings recorded their smash hits.

“Traditional country music is what inspires me,” says Stuart, a Mississippi native. “It’s the music I most cherish, the culture in which I was raised. It’s the bedrock upon which the empire of country music is built, the empowering force that provides this genre with lasting credibility.”

The release, considered one of Stuart’s strongest to date, is hailed for bringing tradition back to Music City by using a blueprint of 60s-era Nashville. The album has everything country lovers expect: songs of death, songs of love, songs of God, blazing instrumentals and a recitation about Porter Wagoner. The highlight is Hangman, a bleak ballad Stuart co-wrote with Johnny Cash shortly before his death.

As his many fans note, Marty is not only a fantastic instrumentalist, but a singer-songwriter with great showmanship. His roster of platinum recordings include a plethora of styles: from his hillbilly rock of Tempted to his tribute to the Sioux American Indian culture in Badlands, soulful Gospel in Soul’s Chapel to his barn-burning tunes in Live at the Ryman.

When he performs in Spencer spotlights with his band The Fabulous Superlatives, you can expect an evening chock full of the Ghost Train’s true-blue country roots tunes as well as his rustic instrumentals, cry-in-your-beer ballads and hillbilly rock hits. It will be a tribute to the rich heritage of country living with superlative vocals, banjo, steel, upright bass, drums and guitar.

THE PRE-SHOW BUFFET MENU: Ranch Garden Salad, Deep Fried Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Sugar Snap Peas, Yeasty Rolls, Peach Bread Pudding.

Related sites:
www.martystuart.net