Kathy Mattea on West Virginia: Come See Who We Really Are

The country music and bluegrass star talks about her local roots and her NPR show, "Mountain Stage," which is recorded in Charleston.

By Rebecca Treon on October 18, 2023

Reto Sterchi

Born and raised in Cross Lanes near Charleston, WV, Kathy Mattea is a Grammy award-winning country and bluegrass singer who has created dozens of chart-topping hits since her first album debuted in 1984.

She is also the host of “Mountain Stage,” the National Public Radio (NPR) show that is recorded live at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston and airs on nearly 300 public stations in the U.S. The show features well-known and local artists. Livability talked to Mattea about the region’s musical legacy, some of the artists she’s been inspired by and what it feels like to come home to West Virginia.

You were born and raised near Charleston. How does it feel to bring all of these incredible musicians of all genres to your hometown?
It’s really great culturally for the town. Part of what’s unique about “Mountain Stage” is that it gives the musicians the best of West Virginia culture; there’s a homeyness and a welcoming that you get here.

Many times, acts will watch each other’s performances, and there’s a friendliness and a camaraderie that is a nice counterbalance to some of the hillbilly stereotypes people have. It’s more like ‘Come see who we really are.’ Even the caterer serves food like you’d find at my mother’s table – just real West Virginia cooking.

“Mountain Stage” celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023. Over the 40 years the show has been on the air, who have been some of your favorite all-time performances?
I loved seeing Jimmy Webb sit on stage – playing the grand piano, singing songs like “Galveston” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and telling stories on stage.

One of the most remarkable performances was Steve Earle doing a tribute to Guy Clark. I grew up on Guy Clark music. Steve and I signed our record deals on the same day years ago. It was like all my worlds coming together at one time with songs that marked my life. There are moments when it’s very special to be doing this at this time in my life.

How did your upbringing and exposure to bluegrass music shape your style of country music?
When I got to WVU [West Virginia University], I found a community of musicians who were  as eaten up about it as I was. They lived and breathed it and introduced me to all types of new music. Bluegrass is a very welcoming genre; if you know three chords, you can jam with someone, and we had jam sessions on the front porch.

While I grew up with very traditional bluegrass like Bill Monroe, this movement where musicians were listening to a wider range of music and were pushing boundaries was called “newgrass.” It was people like John Hartford and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and I was there for it. It was the stuff of life, and what I lived for.