Music is one of the greatest pleasures that we have in life. Music can calm us, make us happy, sad, feel in love, or feel like dancin'. I've never heard of someone disliking music!
These 17 singers, songwriters, and musicians have all called these West Virginia mountains "home." And we're proud to have every last one of them!
1) Billy Cox, born in Wheeling, West Virginia, is the only surviving member of Jimi Hendrix's three main bands.
2) Brad Paisley was born in Glen Dale, West Virginia!
Brad Paisley has scored 32 Top 10 Singles on the U.S. Billboard of Hot Country Songs chart. Eighteen of those have been #1!
3) Charlie McCoy, orignating from Oak Hill, West Virginia, is a singer and musician.
4) Daniel Johnston, a singer-songwriter, was actually born in California but grew up in New Cumberland, West Virginia.
5) Hasil Adkins, a famous rockabilly singer-songwriter, was born in Boone County, WV.
6) Johnnie Johnson, born in Fairmont, WV, was a blues musician and pianist.
He is most famous for working with Chuck Berry which led to him being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
7) Karma to Burn, also known as K2B, is an instrumental rock band from Morgantown, WV.
Karma to Burns members include William Mecum, Eric Clutter, and Evan Devine.
8) Kathy Mattea, originating from Cross Lanes, West Virginia, is an American country singer.
9) Wilma Lee Cooper, born in Valley Head, WV, was a bluegrass singer.
(Wilma Lee Cooper is obviously not pictured above.)
10) Little Jimmy Dickens, from Bolt, WV, started as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983.
Little Jimmy Dickens just passed away earlier this year, on January 2, 2015, at the age of 94.
11) Hazel Jane Dickens, originating from Montcalm, WV, was a bluegrass singer and songwriter.
Her music was very original, comprising of pro-union, feminist songs.
12) Michael Cerveris, a singer, guitarist, and actor, was actually born in Maryland but was raised in Huntington, WV.
13) Michael W. Smith is a contemporary Christian musician from Kenova, West Virginia.
14) Frank "Poncho" Sampedro is the guitarist for Neil Young's band Crazy Horse.
15) Steve Whiteman, former Kix singer, is from Piedmont, West Virginia.
16) Tim O'Brien, to the far right, is a fantastic bluegrass musician from Wheeling, WV.
Not only can he sing, is can play the guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, and mandocello.
17) Wilber Pan, known as Will Pan, was born in West Virginia, and is now a singer-songwriter, rapper, music producer, actor, an entrepreneur.
Isn't it amazing that so much talent has originated in these very hills? I'm blown away! I feel so honored to share the same home state with these amazing musicians.
Have you seen any of these musicians perform? Comment below!
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