July 4th - A Day Celebrating Thumbpicking History and Bresh

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July 4th - A Day Celebrating Thumbpicking History and Bresh

Postby Scott Taylor » Mon Jun 01, 2015 1:20 pm

Here's an annoucement with plenty of lead time. As most of you know, Chet was influenced by Merle Travis and Merle was born and raised in Muhlenberg County in Western Kentucky. His music was filled with references to coal mining with 16 Tons, Dark as a Dungeon, etc.
Muhlenberg County has worked hard (with the help of some great pickers like Eddie Pennington and Paul Moseley) to keep the history and art of thumbpicking alive. The County dedicated property and they built "Paradise Park", a tree covered parcel of land where they have relocated Travis' childhood home and a one room schoolhouse and built a stage for thumbpicking. Many of us have picked there for several years now. Later, with the help from US and State senators and representatives and individual contributions, they built the Merle Travis Music Center, a beautiful 350 seat Performing Arts Center for all of us pickers. It's a wonderful place for our music with a great stage and sound system and its located adjacent to Paradise Park.
The latest addition to the Park is a relocated and reconstructed miner's hall and company store which will serve as a Miners Museum and Company Store. The brick structure houses mining memorabilia and some of the old Travis collectables.
Come celebrate the grand opening of the UMWA Local 630 Miners Hall and Museum at Paradise Park on July 4th. The day begins with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:00 am followed by picking in the park from 10:30 am til 12:45 pm while you tour the new Miners Hall, Merle Travis house and the Hall of Fame house. Lunch will be available from 11:30 to 1:00. The event moves next door to the Merle Travis Music Center for a program by National Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame historian Barry Duvall describing the mining hall addition to the park, a history of mining in the county and the Browder Coal Mine explosion. It will be followed by a free afternoon concert featuring Thom Bresh sponsored by the Muhlenberg Arts Council. For more information call 270-338-5961.
Scott Taylor
 
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