Kirby Stephens To Receive the 2026 MMF Lifetime Achievement Award
By William Cox – KSD I’ve known Kirby Stephens for years. Writing about him turned out to be harder than I expected — mostly because every time I tried to pin down what makes him so good at what he does, he’d deflect the credit to somebody else. So here’s my best attempt anyway. If […]
Q&A with 2024 MMF Featured Photographer Misty Phillips
Give us a quick bio: Where you are from, what school(s) you’ve attended, any special training or recognition you want to mention, where you work, the name of your photography business, and family. I’m from Alpha, Kentucky (on the Wayne/Clinton line). I’m an 80s baby. I attended Lexington Community College and Somerset Community College and […]
Master Musicians Festival surprises fans with early lineup announcement featuring The Wallflowers as headliner
Southeastern Kentucky’s premier summer music event makes history with pre-holiday release; tickets go on sale on Black Friday It has been a year of records for the Master Musicians Festival. On the heels of a record-breaking crowd for the 30th anniversary of the festival in July, MMF organizers gave their fans a holiday surprise today […]
Denny Fries to be honored with MMF Lifetime Achievement Award
By Jed Keith People called to service have a tendency to downplay their invaluable contributions to their community. Denny Fries, the recipient of 2023’s Master Musicians Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, is the embodiment of that ethos. “Picking me out of the bunch is an honor, but so many people have been instrumental to the process […]
Local musician Hunter Flynn honored as featured artist at 30th annual MMF
Charcoal drawing highlights Lake Cumberland icon Billy the Goat, capturing community’s culture By Jed Keith “It’s about focusing on people.” And in whatever artistic endeavor Hunter Flynn throws himself, that’s where his focus lies. Flynn has made a name for himself in the Lake Cumberland area during the last year-and-a-half since devoting his time to […]
Rising Somerset High School Senior Selected as MMF Featured Photographer
By Lucy McArthurHana Saich was in fifth grade when she attended her first concert with her mother.“Funny how it all started with music,” she said. “It was a Melanie Martinez concert, and the environment inspired me from that night on to try and capture images of all the beautiful things that stem from people coming […]
All 2023 graduating seniors in Pulaski, Wayne, and McCreary counties receive free weekend passes to Master Musicians Festival
Partnership with area sponsors expands MMF’s mission to bring music education to people of all ages in southeastern Kentucky SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (April 17, 2023) — Leaning on its mission to bring multicultural music to people of all ages in southeastern Kentucky, the Master Musicians Festival announced today that, with the help of three generous sponsors, […]
Master Musicians Festival announces Kentucky-fueled lineup led by Wynonna Judd to celebrate 30th anniversary
Three-day music festival in Somerset will bring back classical night with Louisville Orchestra, includes a tribute set to three decades of headliners and will honor past volunteer board members SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (January 12, 2023) — One of country music’s most widely recognized and awarded female singers — and a member of one of Kentucky’s most iconic […]
Phoebe White
Phoebe White’s first nationally released album was recorded in 2022 with Grammy Award winners Riders in the Sky in Nashville. Also featured on the album are producer Michael Johnathon of Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour and the world-renowned McLain Family Band. Phoebe was awarded the 2022 International Western Music Association Janet McBride Best-of-the-Best Yodeling Award, […]
Spenser Johns
Spenser is an 18-year old singer-songwriter from Indianapolis, Indiana. She began writing songs during the eighth grade, where she also taught herself the guitar, piano, and ukulele. Ever since, she hasn’t stopped writing. She has enjoyed writing songs about personal experiences. In 2021, she released her debut song “burden,” and later released her second song […]