The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/14 - Corey James Clifton / Ashton Browne
2023-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Corey James Clifton was born in the Redwood forests of Northern California – the son of Sasquatch.
Raised in the mountains of East Tennessee in a place called Red Bud Ridge. Sasquatch taught him the ways of music – the soulful groove of his people and now he is bringing that vibe of joy and experimentation to the masses.
Corey is a native of East Tennessee who travelled the west coast for about 8 years pursuing music, learning the craft of live performance, winning the Battle of the Bands in San Francisco, and performing for years in Seattle.
In 2022 he was recruited by and collaborated with the same top level producers of OneRepublic, Arctic Monkeys, and Tame Impala for a sync placement EP.
He has been making waves in the South – the prodigal son returned – to become the home town hero and is now transitioning into a regional phenom.
Inspired by other great artists like Lake Street Dive, The Black Keys, Bill Withers, and Chris Stapleton his sound is unique yet familiar.
Reach out if you can help him achieve the dream of becoming a touring festival artist!

Ashton Browne joins us as well this day for The WDVX Blue Plate Special.
https://youtu.be/USZK5JcFfD4?si=qs1wninFGBaXtcLd

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/15 - C4 / Duck Ryan
2023-11-15 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
C4 is a working, performing, touring, Josie Award Nominated, all original, multi-genre music artist currently from Nashville, Tennessee.
She has written and performed songs that have been recorded for TV show filming, opened up for, played with and worked with artists and producers including: Rap A Lot Records, Mathew Knowles(Beyoncé’s Father), Liberty Devito(Billy Joel’s drummer) Nikki’s American Dream, Mark Stein(Vanilla Fudge), Rockers In Recovery, Sobriety Unplugged, SoberPalooza, Recovery Unplugged(founded by Ritchie Supa.Aerosmith), Face The Music Foundation, Grace Notes, Lou Esposito(Capris), Guitar Dave Watkins(guitar player who worked with INXS, EURYTHMICS, Killing Joke, Buddy Holly’s niece and nephew), Daniel Johnston, Craig Wayne Boyd(American Idol), among many others.
C4 also hosts music events in and around Nashville regularly. Some of the many events she has lead, hosted, Booked and managed include:
Christian Open Mic monthly in the Edgehill neighborhood of Nashville Tennessee called Music With A Mission as well as Hosting A monthly open mic called Sober Sessions as an employee of Grace Notes/Recovery Unplugged. Copper branch Music nights in Downtown Nashville TN, Celebrate Recovery.
Currently she performs and Hosts “C4’s Atomic Songwriter’s Afternoon” every Thursday at Bobby’s Idle Hour on Music Row from 1-5pm.
Hello & Welcome to my life….
Come in and enjoy following me along on this musical journey.
______________
Duck Ryan will join us this day as well!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/16 - Maura Streppa
2023-11-16 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago and finding her home in Tennessee by way of North Carolina, Maura Streppa combines her northern roots and southern influence into one. Heavily influenced by musicians ranging from Lowell George and John Prine to Janis Joplin and Dolly Parton, Maura creates a home for lovers of old and new. Her southern rock vocals take modern country melodies to a new level. Maura’s writing ranges from upbeat honky tonk tunes to raw, intimate songs about her daily struggles.
With 12 songs available on all streaming services, Maura’s music has been recognized by Billboard, Sirius XM “The Highway”, iHeart Radio “Women of Country”, as well as her song “Singer and The Song” winning the 2022 Tennessee Songwriters Week.

The WDVX Big Plate - 11/17 - Wyatt Ellis Band
2023-11-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Born not far from the Great Smoky Mountains, Wyatt Ellis‘ first recollection of hearing the mandolin was Bobby Osborne’s iconic solo on the Osborne Brothers’ bluegrass classic “Rocky Top.” Hearing the Tennessee bluegrass anthem echo throughout the early years of his childhood is what led Wyatt to set his sights on learning to play mandolin. With his schedule packed with school, Boy Scouts and team sports, it was hard to find time for music.
When he was almost 10 years old, Wyatt talked his dad into buying him a used mandolin so he could learn to play it just like Bobby. Soon, he began weekly mandolin lessons in his hometown and quickly developed a strong desire to attend local bluegrass jams. He told his non-musical parents that he wanted to play his new mandolin alongside other bluegrass pickers.
The COVID lockdown began just as he was forging those real-life musical friendships. Team sports, local lessons and bluegrass jams came to an abrupt end. At the same time, festivals and in-person recording sessions suddenly stopped, parking the most in-demand bluegrass musicians at home. Many of his favorite mandolin players started teaching or simply spending more time connecting within the community online.
In the fall of 2020, Wyatt was chosen by his hero Sierra Hull, herself a former mandolin prodigy, for a Tennessee Folklife apprenticeship. Eager to improve under the watch of a true virtuoso, Wyatt describes those one-on-one tutorials as “working on exactly what I needed to work on at the time. Details. Timing. Tone. Getting all the little things right by slowing down was a really big deal in that situation. Sierra has taken bluegrass mandolin to another dimension and I was excited to start my journey with her. I’ve played my mandolin every day since then.”
Having never been a fan of watching television or playing video games, playing mandolin became Wyatt’s preferred pastime. With no close neighbors and the music world suddenly at his fingertips, his passion for the instrument grew. As word circulated in the bluegrass community about his accelerated abilities, Wyatt befriended many of the genre’s top mandolin players through camps, workshops, and individual lessons.
In October 2022, Wyatt performed alongside former Bluegrass Boy Peter Rowan and Grammy winner Molly Tuttle at Rowan’s induction into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Wyatt was invited by his ultimate mandolin hero, Marty Stuart, to help kick off the Grand-Reopening of the Ellis Theater in Philadelphia, Mississippi. In February 2023, at 13 years old, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut appearance with bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent. Moments after his debut appearance he was jamming backstage with acoustic icons Vince Gill and Mark O’Connor. In March 2023, Wyatt joined the genre’s newest superstar, Billy Strings, to honor Doc Watson at his 100th birthday celebration. The now fourteen-year-old was recently invited to play the iconic Merlefest event Mandolin Mania with five of his mandolin heroes.
As a young musician just starting out on his musical journey, Wyatt has found that the bluegrass community is full of supporters, kind words, and encouragement. He has accrued more than 90,000 followers on combined social media before ever releasing a single.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/18 - UT Appalachian Stringband
2023-11-18 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
UT Appalachian Stringband is student ensembles playing bluegrass and other Americana music.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/20 – Kirk Fleta
2023-11-20 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Kirk Fleta joins us today for the WDVX Blue Plate Special.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/21 - Kelle Jolly
2023-11-21 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Kelle Jolly is known as the “Tennessee Ukulele Lady “. Her inspiring concerts and workshops leave audiences of all ages amazed by the many different styles of music that can be played on ukulele and how it can be used to enhance storytelling. Kelle believes ukuleles are “four strings of fun”!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/22 - Lucas Pasley / Josh Bearden
2023-11-22 12:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Lucas Pasley is an oldtime fiddler / banjoist and singer-songwriter from Sparta, NC in the heart of the southern Appalachian mountains.
Rooted in traditional Appalachian and Country music, Lucas often pulls lyrics from his family’s writing in addition to his own with an emphasis on instrumental solos and harmony singing. His first album, Souls Living On, is a collection of four generations of songwriting in his family and his new album Ponies Back Home was released May 2023.
On the traditional music side, Lucas plays in the band Gap Civil and has worked to preserve and honor the music of Alleghany County, NC and the surrounding areas. Check out Gap Civil’s webpage and click here for more information on Lucas’s bio and projects with traditional music.
Find all links here.

Josh Bearden is a singer songwriter from Dalton Ga. Is a ISSA MultiAward Winner. Josh Grew up in the Mountains of North Georgia and learned to play guitar on his Parents Front Porch he started writing Songs in 2002 and now with 2 Solo Albums he is ready to let the world hear his music.. hope you enjoy the journey as Josh Takes you to a Trip Around Home and Not Looking Back but moving forward to the Music that he makes.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/23 - Thanksgiving / No Live show
2023-11-23 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
WDVX serves up “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” a song by Arlo Guthrie and a long time Thanksgiving day tradition on WDVX.

The WDVX Big Plate - 11/24 - Robinella
2023-11-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
Robinella’s career began with a sort of luck that rarely comes to most artists within their lifetime. What started out as a simple husband-and-wife duo fresh out of college quickly grew to a full-fledged band that blended Bluegrass, Country and Jazz. The combination of Robinella’s honey-sweet vocals with violin, mandolin, bass, drums and piano captivated audiences, thus creating the ever popular Robinella & the CC Stringband.
They released their first album, self-titled Robinella and The CC Stringband, in 2000, which quickly followed, No Saint, No Prize in 2001. Both were on the independent label Big Gulley Records. With a few simple twists of fate, what followed was a whirlwind of rapid success – Columbia Records liked what they heard and signed Robinella in 2002. The label took seven songs from the band’s two prior albums and released them as the CD Blanket for My Soul and then released a full album in 2003, Robinella and the CC Stringband. This led to a national tour including opening for such artists as Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Earl Scruggs, Nickel Creek, Robert Earl Keen, Kasey Chambers, Del McCoury and Rodney Crowell as well as an appearance on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and a music video on CMT for their hit single, “Man Over”. She also performed on NPR’s “Mountain Stage,” appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and performed on PBS’s “SoundStage.” In 2006, Robinella was nominated for “Emerging Artist of the Year” at the Americana Music Awards and released her fourth album, “Solace for the Lonely”, on Dualtone Records in Nashville.
But then life, as it has a tendency to do, threw a few curveballs her way. She became a mom and a couple of years later, she and her husband/musical partner split up with a new record almost completed. Exhausted and somewhat disillusioned with the industry and its promises, it was time to regroup, redefine and get back to her roots. So she returned to her home, the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and got back in touch with what she truly wanted – love, family, friendship, music, art, truth.
With that comes her latest release, “Fly Away Bird”, her most mature work. However, within the melancholy and touches of sadness there is not true despair. For such a voice — that dazzling, warm, bright-as-summer-sunshine soprano — to even communicate it would most likely defy certain laws of emotional physics. No, instead, this album, beneath the disappointments, she is brimming with optimism — with hope. You can feel it, and even more important than that, you believe — because she believes, and because her music is so honest and so genuine and so forthright that you just can’t help but knowing that this is an artist who still finds life to be magical.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/25 - Joshua Michaud / The Whiskey Charmers
2023-11-25 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Joshua Michaud is a wandering musician seeking for adventures from Montreal, QC, Canada Quebec.

The Whiskey Charmers are a Detroit-based band led by Carrie Shepard and Lawrence Daversa. Fans have often compared their sound to riding through the desert with the top down, or the feeling of being in some lonesome smoky bar off the side of an abandoned highway, or music from a Spaghetti Western. William P Davis (Former Deputy Director of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville) says of the band, “I’ve heard a lot of good musicians. The Whiskey Charmers remind me of no one – and, to me, that is one of the best compliments an act can receive.”

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/27 - Lindsay Lou
2023-11-27 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
“I saw a literal manifestation of the sacred feminine, and had this profound sense that I was meant to embody it,” recalls celebrated singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou after journeying through a hallucinogenic ritual that would inform the way she processed waves of grief in the sea of change ahead of her. The loss of her grandmother, the end of her marriage, and the overwhelming turmoil of COVID lockdowns found the Nashville-based artist on a spiritual journey of self-knowledge and healing with this gift from the mystic swirl. On her new album Queen of Time (due September 29th from Kill Rock Stars), Lou explores that quest across ten tracks of tender, heartbreakingly beautiful music.
With this new vision of womanhood in mind, Lou began to see a throughline from her grandmother, to herself, to the art she was creating. Her 2018 release, Southland (recorded with her former band, The Flatbellys), felt like the first chapter to a greater story that was unfolding; with this release, the theme deepened. “It started with my grandma. She was the unattainable woman in a way,” Lou explains. “She had 12 kids and ran homeless shelters and was always taking people in. She felt that her calling was to be a mother to everyone – this communal caregiver – but it also meant that in belonging to everyone, she also belonged to no one. I realized that this is the catch-22 of anyone who is a woman unto herself. Women, first and foremost, belong to themselves, so nobody can really have them; but, there’s also this element of self-sacrificing and giving to the idea of the feminine.”
Lou’s vocals are a powerful companion to her songwriting. “In an era when style and trends can become genericana, [Lou] focuses on the song,” said No Depression. “It is infectious and joyful, soulful even.” The undeniable centerpiece throughout Queen of Time, Lou’s voice is a molasses-sweet instrument equally capable of clarion ache, slicing deep into the soul. The daughter of a literal coal-miner and millwright, and the granddaughter of a teacher gone Rainbow Gathering healer, Lou honed her honest and resonant style with her bluegrass-inspired band, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, and Michigan supergroup, Sweet Water Warblers (Rachael Davis, May Erlewine), excavating elements of bluegrass, folk, Americana, and soulful pop for their emotional depths. The Warblers’ debut album, The Dream That Holds This Child (2020), was dubbed “a testament to the trio’s range” by Billboard, running the gamut of blues, gospel, soul, and Appalachian folk.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/28 - Laterza Classe
2023-11-28 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
La Terza Classe was born in Naples in October 2012; the street were the place where the project formed and had its first achievements, and where the band started to produce music and shows playing traditional and modern American and European folk songs: from Bluegrass to Dixieland, also called Early Jazz, up to Jug Band songs, combining each one of the styles with typical Neapolitan “theatricality”.
In 2014 the band made a first EP, “Ready to Sail”, which sold more than 2000 copies thanks to the intense and constant live performances n several countries. In May 2016 the second studio work came out, “Folkshake”, which included 8 new tracks and one original song; this work was realized together with “Ad Est dell’Equatore” publishing house, and is distributed on Amazon, Spotify and iTunes.
Over the years La Terza Classe has had the chance to continue studying the roots of the music they play and for this reason the band has performed in many European countries (Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands) and especially in the United States , which they toured in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019; the band has been featured on many American radio shows (one of them being the famous “Blue Plate Special” , live on WDVX radio in Knoxville) and had the honor of playing for four years in a row at “Music City Roots” in Nashville,TN, and on the stage of the famous “Bluegrass Underground”.
In 2015 the band participated at the “Bluegrass Contest” in the town of Anderson, S.C., and won second place and had the opportunity to perform on the Main Stage of the “Boograss Bash Festival”, together with internationally recognized artists like Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Rhonda Vincent and Flatt Lonesome. Along with its music activity, La Terza Classe has had the chance to feature in several italian television programs produced by Sky Arte: “On the Road with Joe Bastianich” and “Fotografi”; it has also recently been featured on the 2016 edition of “Italy’s got Talent”.
The original tune “Paulina” and a cover of the famous bluegrass standard “Rollin’ in my sweet baby’s arms” have been used as a soundtrack for some commercials. La Terza Classe has also produced a documentary “Flat Tyre – An American Music Dream”, which shows the story of the first trip to the USA that led the band to discover the roots of American folk music. The documentary, directed by Ugo di Fenza and edited by Paolo Ielpo, won the 2016 edition of the Napoli Film Festival and the jury’s special mention at the Salento International Film Festival 2017.
On Oct. 2018, the band released the new EP called “La Terza Classe” with 4 original songs, produced by the italian label Polosud Records and is distributed on Amazon, Spotify and iTunes. On Nov. of the same year the band toured the United States, 28 shows all around the East Coast to promote their new record.
On March 2019 the band perform at the incredible SXSW festival in Austin, TX and, at the end of the same year, a new U.S. tour with 29 shows and a showcase at the Contact East Festival in Canada.
After the Covid-19 restrictions a new musical collaboration start with the very famous TV showman Joe Bastianich; togheter they share the common passion for folk/bluegrass/alt-country music and so they decide to release a record with all original songs called “Goodmorning Italia“, published by the italian label Soundinside Records. During the 2022 summer Joe & La Terza Classe have perfomed avout 35 shows around Italy in some of the most important music festivals of the country.
During 2023 the band with Joe Bastianich released a new EP named “Silverado”.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/29 - Taylor Glasheen
2023-11-29 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Taylor Glasheen joins us this day.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 11/30 - Cole Ritter & The Night Owls
2023-11-30 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Cole Ritter has been playing music as long as he can remember. He first fell in love with music when he picked up the fiddle at the young age of 3. He started touring at the age of 8 with a group of violinists and played all over the southeast.
He picked up singing and playing the guitar at 13 when he was gifted his Great-Grandfather’s Guitar. This was the beginning of Cole’s artistry.
Cole’s favorite part about playing with his band is getting to share stories and precious moments with friends and fans.
No one has passion for music like Cole. His soulful, jazzy voice mixed with his country and rock and roll roots gives a unique sound of the Night Owls.

The WDVX Big Plate - 12/1 - The Young Fables
2023-12-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
The Young Fables (TYF) create music with classic storytelling weaved into Americana roots music with pop sensibilities. East Tennessee (Maryville) natives, Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford are influenced by timeless treasures like Patsy Cline, Bonnie Raitt, Glen Campbell and Chet Atkins. The duo’s unique sound has resonated with audiences around the globe as live performances have become stages from which The Young Fables discuss themes and topics typically saved for the therapy couch. Strong advocates for mental health awareness, The Young Fables are focused on helping to erase the stigmas surrounding the topic. Recognizing the duo’s advocacy, the pair were honored with The Troy Gentry Compassion Award in 2021 for compassion, commitment, kindness and love.
The couple has dropped 3 full length albums Two, Old Songs, and Pages (the latter two collaborations with GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Mitch Dane). Their sound – a whimsical, distinguishable classic country-meets-Americana pop blend – was praised by iconic artists and taste-makers alike, with nine-time GRAMMY® Award winning artist Sheryl Crow tweeting, “Laurel’s as good as any country singer out there!” Their releases opened the door for a Rolling Stone “10 Best Country and Americana Songs of the Week” nod, direct support for artists like Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Rascal Flatts and an invitation from multi-platinum songstress Shania Twain to take part in the CBS showcase celebration Real Country. “Wes is a perfect partner for Laurel’s voice. I fell in love with these guys as a genuine, authentic talent and sound,” mused Twain, and Travis Tritt added, “Our industry needs (TYF) right now!”
2023 will see Wright and Lunsford releasing Short Stories, the band’s 4th studio effort, and their feature documentary ‘The Fable of a Song’, winner of the 2021 Nashville Film Festival Audience Choice Award. “Every album that we have released has become sort of journal entry for us and Short Stories is the next chapter.” Wright reveals. “We feel fortunate to have a space to share our music and are so grateful that our story seems to be helping others with their healing. That’s a reward unlike any other.”

Taps & Tunes on the Corner - 12/1 - Michael Prewitt
2023-12-01 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
“International Bluegrass Music Association award winner Michael Prewitt was born and raised in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains in rural Whitley County, Kentucky, outside of the town of Williamsburg. It was there he learned to play bluegrass music, first on the fiddle and then on what would quickly become his life’s musical love, the mandolin. Throughout middle school and high school he played in his school district’s after-school bluegrass band, Colonel Strings, and after graduating he played with the Eastern Kentucky bluegrass band Mountain Drive. Michael then took a hiatus from playing music to attend college at the University of the Cumberlands. He moved to North Dakota after graduating to begin graduate school in English literature, and while there began playing mandolin and banjo with the North Dakota-based Flatt Mountain Bluegrass Boys. After a few years of teaching English at the University of North Dakota, he decided to focus his attention on his musical career by relocating to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he co-founded the neo-traditional bluegrass band Back Up & Push. The band released a regionally well-received album with Michael playing guitar, singing lead vocals and contributing multiple original compositions. In 2021 he joined the Grammy-nominated bluegrass band Special Consensus, where he currently plays the mandolin and sings lead and harmony vocals. An album of instrumental music, “The Peerless Mountain Sessions,” is slated for release in early 2024 on Common Loon Records. He currently lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee.”

The Smoky Mountain Jamboree - 12/1 - Cruz Contreras / Wyatt Ellis
2023-12-01 19:00 | Clayton Center for The Arts, 502 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, TN, 37804, United States
East Tennessee’s Own WDVX and ORNL Federal Credit Union present the Smoky Mountain Jamboree at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the campus of Maryville College Friday night December First at seven with your host Jay Clark.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
The Smoky Mountain Jamboree will feature two, nationally recognized artists that just happen to call Blount County home. Wyatt Ellis, acclaimed bluegrass prodigy, will co-headline the Jamboree with the debut release party for Wyatt Ellis and his All Star Band along with Americana front man and singer-songwriter, Cruz Contreras. The show will be broadcast live on “East Tennessee’s Own” WDVX.
Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer Cruz Contreras has roots in Tennessee and Michigan, but has impacted Americana music worldwide.
The frontman, founder, and driving force behind The Black Lillies’ raw and rootsy sound also co-founded Robinella and the CCstringband, and has collaborated with musicians ranging from John Oates and Jim Lauderdale to Langhorne Slim and The Turnpike Troubadours. His projects have topped both the Billboard and Americana radio charts, won Independent Music Awards, and been nominated for the Americana Music Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year award. After over a decade touring under the name The Black Lillies, Contreras wrapped up the band in 2019 and is performing under his own name.
Over the years, Cruz has appeared on nationally broadcasted television including Late Night with Conan O’Brien, CMT, VH-1, GAC, Bluegrass Underground and PBS Television’s Sun Studio Sessions. His music has been lauded by outlets as diverse as American Songwriter Magazine, Rolling Stone, NPR’s Morning Edition and Vanity Fair, among others. As an independent artist, Cruz has played Nashville’s lauded Grand Ole Opry 40 times over the years. Contreras is currently at work on his debut solo album, ‘Cosmico’.

Born not far from the Great Smoky Mountains, Wyatt Ellis‘ first recollection of hearing the mandolin was Bobby Osborne’s iconic solo on the Osborne Brothers’ bluegrass classic “Rocky Top.” Hearing the Tennessee bluegrass anthem echo throughout the early years of his childhood is what led Wyatt to set his sights on learning to play mandolin. With his schedule packed with school, Boy Scouts and team sports, it was hard to find time for music.
When he was almost 10 years old, Wyatt talked his dad into buying him a used mandolin so he could learn to play it just like Bobby. Soon, he began weekly mandolin lessons in his hometown and quickly developed a strong desire to attend local bluegrass jams. He told his non-musical parents that he wanted to play his new mandolin alongside other bluegrass pickers.
The COVID lockdown began just as he was forging those real-life musical friendships. Team sports, local lessons and bluegrass jams came to an abrupt end. At the same time, festivals and in-person recording sessions suddenly stopped, parking the most in-demand bluegrass musicians at home. Many of his favorite mandolin players started teaching or simply spending more time connecting within the community online.
In the fall of 2020, Wyatt was chosen by his hero Sierra Hull, herself a former mandolin prodigy, for a Tennessee Folklife apprenticeship. Eager to improve under the watch of a true virtuoso, Wyatt describes those one-on-one tutorials as “working on exactly what I needed to work on at the time. Details. Timing. Tone. Getting all the little things right by slowing down was a really big deal in that situation. Sierra has taken bluegrass mandolin to another dimension and I was excited to start my journey with her. I’ve played my mandolin every day since then.”
Having never been a fan of watching television or playing video games, playing mandolin became Wyatt’s preferred pastime. With no close neighbors and the music world suddenly at his fingertips, his passion for the instrument grew. As word circulated in the bluegrass community about his accelerated abilities, Wyatt befriended many of the genre’s top mandolin players through camps, workshops, and individual lessons.
In October 2022, Wyatt performed alongside former Bluegrass Boy Peter Rowan and Grammy winner Molly Tuttle at Rowan’s induction into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Wyatt was invited by his ultimate mandolin hero, Marty Stuart, to help kick off the Grand-Reopening of the Ellis Theater in Philadelphia, Mississippi. In February 2023, at 13 years old, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut appearance with bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent. Moments after his debut appearance he was jamming backstage with acoustic icons Vince Gill and Mark O’Connor. In March 2023, Wyatt joined the genre’s newest superstar, Billy Strings, to honor Doc Watson at his 100th birthday celebration. The now fourteen-year-old was recently invited to play the iconic Merlefest event Mandolin Mania with five of his mandolin heroes.
As a young musician just starting out on his musical journey, Wyatt has found that the bluegrass community is full of supporters, kind words, and encouragement. He has accrued more than 90,000 followers on combined social media before ever releasing a single.

Thank you to:

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/2 - Corrie Lynn Green / Jeremy Wells
2023-12-02 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Corrie Lynn Green is an Appalachian Folk Singer from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She was discovered by well-known producer and recording equipment engineer D.W. Fearn during the pandemic. She had been writing stories about her life growing up in rural Appalachia since she was young, challenging the ideas instilled by her evangelical upbringing, and education status and bringing authenticity and grit to the stage as if her life depended on it.
Creating a new spin on folk/americana/appalachia genre, self taught singer/songwriter Corrie Lynn Greeen writes and reflects the secrets and stories of life in a small holler town drawing from her deep roots in rural Appalachia, she also walks down a path of self discovery through personal heartbreak, rebellion, hardship, joy and acceptance.
At some point in her young adult life during a walkabout, she found a broken down abandoned, handmade clawhammer banjo and slowly taught herself to play.
After walking down a path of personal healing, Corrie Lynn became serious about writing, playing and singing with what has become known as her very engaging, signature voice. At this time she continues to ride the waves of this very fast moving musical current. After listening to Corrie Lynn Green’s vocals and lyrics, you will find they cut through time and render genre obsolete.
She released “Blow Away”, her debut album in May of 2022, then went on to win third place in the acclaimed Stephan George SongWriter’s competition in Tuscon, Arizona for 2022 and has been recognized in other national songwriting competitions for 2023. With a new album on the horizon, Corrie Lynn Green hopes to take you on a storyteller’s journey through the stages of a life lived the mountain way.

Jeremy Wells. Movement and musings from a washed up wood pushin widower in North Georgia.. no trends. No influence. No mass following. Just a drop in the pail.. a coffin for the nail.. a hole in the sail..

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/4 - The Pirkle Trio
2023-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own The Pirkle Trio joins us this day bringing real live music to the WDVX stage.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/5 - Brand New Box of Matches
2023-12-05 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Ryan and Elizabeth aka Brand New Box of Matches is a Bluegrass-folk & roots inspired duo band out of Knoxville, TN.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/6 - AC Sapphire / Jobi Riccio
2023-12-06 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Whether solo or full band, AC Sapphire‘s powerful voice fills a room. Her songwriting chops make instant fans of first time listeners and keep her following coming back. A particularly gifted singer, AC also has a lifetime of performing experience that began in her early teens. Her latest album Desert Car released on American Standard Time Records is a stunning, shimmering collection of electric rock songs served as nostalgic souvenirs. She’s been featured as a Bandcamp new and notable, in Glide Magazine, Pop Mattters, and XS Noize, Relix Magazine, And Americana Highway. Her songs can be found on official AppleMusic playlists “Desert”, “Indie Folk”, and “Fresh Blood”.
Half the fun of seeing her live is watching a crowd melt into a pool of new fans.​
AC Sapphire was the winners of Relix Magazine’s 2022 Sonic Showdown contest. featured in the December issue and flown to New York City to perform for a live session for recording. AC was also chosen as the grand prize winner in the 21st Annuel New Song Music competition. She can be heard singing alongside Shirley Manson (Garbage) on the eponymous single “We’re Still Here” from HIRS Collective new album. Always in motion, AC now also has a duo project called Caliko with long time singing partner Kendall Lujan.​
In the coming year AC will be performing across the US, recording an EP at Citizen Vinyl and making appearances at Treefort Music Fest and more.

Born and raised in Morrison, Colorado – a tourist town in the foothills outside of Denver that’s home to Red Rocks Amphitheater – Jobi Riccio grew up surrounded by music and found inspiration in artists ranging from Sheryl Crow to Joni Mitchell. Sonically, Jobi’s music exists between worlds, melding the classic craftsmanship of her songwriting with modern indie-leaning production to forge a lush, expansive sound that feels traditional and experimental all at once. She has received acclaim for her songwriting, including winning the 2019 NewSong Music Competition, performing at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, receiving the 2019 Lee Villiare Scholarship from her alma mater Berklee College of Music, and being named a finalist in the 2018 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Showcase. In 2023 Jobi was awarded the Newport Folk Festival John Prine Fellowship.
Her previous release, EP “Strawberry Wine” (2019), is an ode to the women of classic country and bluegrass she grew up learning to sing from. Her debut album, “Whiplash” (out September 2023 on Yep Roc), follows in similar footsteps but introduces influences from a variety of genres, while still holding space for Riccio’s love for all decades of country and americana music.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/7 - Rachel McIntyre Smith / Tin Roof Echo
2023-12-07 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
With her lyrically driven songs, Rachel McIntyre Smith’s comfort twang music reminds listeners of the classics while also adding a relevant and fresh perspective. Holler magazine calls her “Loretta Lynn for the TikTok Generation.”
In 2022, Rachel independently released her debut EP “Glory Daze”, which went on to be featured on BBC Radio, Spotify’s Best of Fresh Finds Country 2022, and Grady Smith’s Youtube Channel where he named the title track one of the best country songs of 2022.
Her brightly colored style, smooth vocals, and small-town charm leave a lasting impact on audiences. Americana Highways states she is “a vocal descendant of Alison Krauss.” Rachel’s had the privilege to share the stage with some impressive names in country music, including Lee Roy Parnell, Larry Fleet, Paul Thorn, Boy Named Banjo and Caleb Lee Hutchinson.

Although originally hailing from the musically rich city of Macon, Georgia, Joe Hooten has called Asheville, North Carolina home, off & on, since the late 90’s, but more permanently beginning in 2007. Following his 2014 debut, The Original Plan, seven albums (six LPs and one EP) have been released under the Tin Roof Echo moniker-each demonstrating the DIY recording style that ultimately allows his uniquely introspective songwriting & production style to be highlighted along with his varied influences. He’s performed at notable festivals such as Durham NC’s Enofest, Northeast Georgia’s fabled Finsterfest, and Asheville’s inaugural AVLFest. He’s shared respected stages with a diverse range of talents like alt-country hero Scott Miller (The V-Roys) & punk pioneers Agent Orange. His solo shows- whether in a festival setting, radio show, or an intimate listening room- are not to be missed.

The WDVX Big Plate - 12/8 - Alyssa & Wayne Brewer / Hearth
2023-12-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Barley’s, 200 East Jackson Avenue, Knoxville, TN, 37915, United States
When youthful passion and timeless songs intersect, it’s a creative crossroads where everything old seems new again. That’s definitely the case with husband and wife country duo Alyssa & Wayne Brewer’s new album Alyssa and Wayne Sing George and Tammy, due for release on Friday, September 15.
Wayne Brewer, a sixth-generation musician well-known for his work with Gary Brewer & The Kentucky Ramblers, and his talented wife Alyssa teamed to salute country legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The Brewer’s debut album finds the couple covering such well known classics as the first single, “Golden Ring” and “We’re Gonna Hold On” in addition to lesser known gems like “Rosie Bokay.”
Wayne and Alyssa approached the project with equal amounts of unbridled enthusiasm and humble trepidation. “We committed and agreed to do our debut release as a tribute to the two best country singers of all time. It was a major undertaking,” Wayne recalls. “We did all these in the original keys that George and Tammy cut them in, except I did ‘Rosie Bokay’ as a nod to Bobby Osborne, who cut it up a key high. All the rest of the songs are in the original keys, which I thought was important.”
Married since 2015, Wayne says recording a duet album has been a goal since he and Alyssa began dating, but other career demands kept them busy. Wayne not only performs with the Ramblers, but is also CEO of SGM (Stretch Grass Music) and Alyssa serves as COO of the label. Eventually, the couple found time to get in the studio and recorded the Townes Van Zandt classic “If I Needed You,” a song they had sung to each other at their wedding. The combination of Wayne’s earnest approach and Alyssa’s achingly vulnerable vocals earned them instant fans.
A friend at SGM’s distribution company, Sony/The Orchard, encouraged them to record an entire album and suggested they revive the Jones/Wynette catalog. Both Wayne and Alyssa had grown up listening to the country music icons and the project seemed a natural fit. “We’ve always been big fans of theirs, but who isn’t? Everybody knows George’s range was unlike anybody’s that ever has been or ever will be, so it was an undertaking,” Wayne says.
Yet the couple rose to the challenge, even though they were recording at the same time they were adjusting to being first-time parents. “After we had a baby, we started working on it when she was a newborn, so we waited until we had the least amount of time to start this,” Alyssa laughs about the challenging circumstances. “This was only my second time ever in the studio, but I had a lot of guidance from Wayne because he’s been producing so many albums over the years.”
Alyssa and Wayne Sing George and Tammy became a labor of love for the young couple and the recording sessions were intimate and emotional with Wayne alone in the control room and Alyssa singing directly to him. “I said, ‘I’ll sit on the board, and you’ll be in the tracking room, looking right at me through the glass. I’ll track all your vocals with you singing directly to me,’” he recalls. “So that’s how this was cut, and I feel like you can hear that in the album.”

East Tennessee’s Own Alex & Miranda Leach join us as a new duo called Hearth.

Secret City Radio Show - 12/8 - Grove Theatre
2023-12-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Grove Theater, 123 Randolph Rd., Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States
East Tennessee’s Own WDVX and Oak Ridge Periodic Tables present the The Secret City Radio Show featuring Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius, Four Leaf Peat, and host Chad Beauchaine at the Grove Theatre in Oak Ridge with a live broadcast on December 8th. These shows will continue in 2024 with quarterly broadcasts.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS!
Multi-Grammy award winner Tim O’Brien and his wife Jan Fabricius have performed together nationally and internationally either as a duo or as part of the Tim O’Brien Band since 2015. In a duet setting with a guitar, a mandolin, and their two voices, they bring an intimate and warm acoustic music roots repertoire that’s at once both original and traditional.
Singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist O’Brien, born in Wheeling WV in 1954, grew up singing and playing guitar in church and in school. After seeing Doc Watson on TV, he became a lifelong devotee of old time and bluegrass music. Co-founder of Colorado’s Hot Rize, he toured the world with that band from 1978 until he started his solo career in 1990. His songs have been covered by Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, and the Dixie Chicks, and his collaborators onstage and in the recording studio include Darrell Scott, Dirk Powell, Mark Knopfler, and Sturgill Simpson. Awarded Grammy’s in both the Folk and Bluegrass categories, he is a member of both the West Virginia and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. He lives with Jan Fabricius in Nashville TN.
Jan Fabricius grew up in WaKeeney, Ks. and sang from an early age in church and school, taking up clarinet and then mandolin. A registered nurse and mother of two, she kept her hand in music through local jams and regional bluegrass festivals while raising her family.
Jan’s music with O’Brien started informally around their home as he wrote or learned new songs, and she soon found herself singing and playing mandolin in the studio and onstage. O’Brien’s 2021 release “He Walked On”, and his upcoming release “Cup of Sugar” feature original songs co written by Tim and Jan.

Four Leaf Peat is Tennessee’s premier Traditional Irish Band and has been performing locally and regionally since 2004! Traditional Irish music ranges from vibrant dance tunes to soulful songs, and Four Leaf Peat’s performances are always marked by a keen sense of the tradition, mixed with just the right amount of influence from the rich musical history of East Tennessee. Four Leaf Peat’s unique sound is a result of its members’ various musical backgrounds, and their continued passion for traditional Irish music. By taking all of their years of musical training, and building on Irish influences like The Bothy Band, Planxty, Flying Cloud & Silly Wizard, to more modern twists on Traditional music such as Dervish, Open the Door for Three & Lunasa; Four Leaf Peat has built its own brand of Irish music which celebrates the musical bridge that spans the Atlantic.

Kidstuff Live - 12/9 - Will Carter
2023-12-09 10:00 - 11:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
A multi-instrumentalist, singer songwriter and record producer, Will Carter is a busy man – performing as a sideman with other musicians (including Jackson Brown, NEEDTOBREATHE, and Ashley Campbell), performing and releasing his own music, and recording projects for other people. But amidst everything else, he has found time over the years to play music for kids at the Boys and Girls Club and in local Knoxville schools.
He’ll bring his many talents back to the Kidstuff stage on Dec. 9. And if you’re getting in the Christmas spirit, you’re in for a treat. Will loves to arrange and perform Christmas songs.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/9 - Lazybirds
2023-12-09 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
The band Lazybirds began twenty years ago, when Jay Brown and James T Browne, who had played acoustic blues and folk together in high-school in Birmingham Alabama, moved up to Boone NC where they became immersed in the rich musical heritage of the Appalachians, while at the same time delving deeper into blues and jazz. Lazybirds was formed with Mitch Johnston on bass and Andy Christopher on tenor guitar and tenor banjo, later adding the great Alfred Michels on guitar and fiddle. More recently, the line-up has changed somewhat, with Asheville musicians Cas Sochacki on upright bass and steel guitar, Brad Pope on tenor guitar and mandolin, and upright bass.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/11 - Nancy Brennan Strange
2023-12-11 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
East Tennessee’s Own Nancy Brennan Strange takes the stage today on The WDVX Blue Plate Special!

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/12 - Trisha Gene Brady
2023-12-12 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
With her former band TGB followed a rigorous road schedule and had many adventures!! Trisha Gene Brady is a roots musician from Knoxville, TN known best for her seven year run as the female vocalist (guitar, mandolin, percussion) of the nationally touring act, The Black Lillies. Her split from the well known Americana outfit seems to be an open door to the next step in her career.
She has been featured in publications including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Billboard, Wall Street Journal, Consequence of Sound, Garden & Gun, Huffington Post, Relix Magazine, USA Today, PASTE Magazine, No Depression & Country Weekly, NPR’s Mountain Stage (twice) and five separate PBS concert specials, a GAC featurette, Texas Music Scene and a CMT television episode airing nationally.
Trisha Gene is one of the only independent artists invited to play the Grand Ole Opry more than thirty times (debuted June, 2011).
She has performed at festivals including Bonnaroo Music + Arts, SXSW, Americana Music Association’s Americana Fest, 30-A Songwriter’s Festival, Country Music Association’s CMA Festival & Fan Fair, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Pickathon, Strawberry Music Festival, Four Corners Folk Festival, MerleFest, Old Settler’s Festival, The Luck Reunion, and more.

The WDVX Blue Plate Special - 12/13 - Les Kerr / The Luv Muffins
2023-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 | WDVX, 301 S. Gay Street, Knoxville, TN, 37902, United States
Les Kerr is a songwriter, recording artist and performer who brings blues, New Orleans music, Zydeco, rock and bluegrass together to create his “Hillbilly Blues Caribbean Rock & Roll.” A Nashville resident since 1987, Kerr was born in Louisiana and raised in Mississippi.
Les has recorded eleven albums, including his latest, Part of the Show. About Les’ music, national music publication No Depression’s Lee Zimmerman wrote, “Nashville’s Les Kerr creates a sound that’s both jovial and cerebral all at the same time…Kerr takes his stylistic additives from a variety of genres — reggae, country, folk, blues and rock ‘n’ roll — and meshes them into a hybrid that’s philosophical [and] sunny.”
Les has performed at many festivals and has headlined annual Mardi Gras celebrations at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café since 1992. Among the venues and events where he has performed are Nashville’s Official Independence Day Celebration, the Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame, Southern Festival of Books and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Nashville (formerly the Country Music Marathon).
Regional performances include shows at the Maple Leaf Bar and Louisiana Music Factory (New Orleans, LA); Decatur, Alabama’s Historic Princess Theatre; The Listening Room (Mobile, AL); The Railyard (Decatur, AL); Hal and Mal’s (Jackson, MS); Atlanta Dogwood Festival; Knoxville (TN) Dogwood Festival; Southern Festival of Books (Nashville and Memphis) and Cookeville, Tennessee’s city-wide “Cooking on the Square” event.
The title song of his 2015 Contributor album was inspired by Nashville’s street newspaper and the premier event of the video raised money for the newspaper, The Contributor. The video for Contributor was seen worldwide and was included on CMT.com.
Mackinac Blues, from Les’ New Orleans Set CD, was included in NPR’s All Songs Considered and the New Orleans-based OffBEAT magazine declared, “Kerr’s musical stylings aptly cover the gamut from rockabilly to boogie to Caribbean beats with ease.”
Les was a three-time award nominee of the former Music City Blues Society and was featured in the TV documentary Civil War Songs and Stories broadcast on PBS stations across the U.S.
Lyrics of several of Les’ songs have appeared in three volumes of Maple Leaf Rag, a New Orleans Poetry Anthology. He is also the co-author of The All-American Truck Stop Cookbook (Harper Collins) and Tennessee (Graphic Arts Press).

East Tennessee’s Own The Luv Muffins joins us this day for the WDVX Blue Plate Special!
