The Lester Flatt Celebration Saturday pays homage to White County’s past and present bluegrass musicians.
Bluegrass Musician Blake Williams said Flatt was an original member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. Earl Scruggs joined the band, bringing the bluegrass sound to the nation.
“He was unique, and he was a good MC,” Williams said. “He had a great personality. When he was doing a radio show or a performance, he had this ability to make you think that he was just talking to you right there in the living room, and so he made a real connection with audiences. And I think that’s the big key for any musician, to make a connection with the audience, and Lester really did that.”
Williams said bluegrass incorporates fiddle music from the Appalachians. But the form is native to Scotland, Ireland and England. It also features gospel harmonies. Williams said the South historically values the storytelling aspect of bluegrass.
“It really related to people in the South,” Williams said.
Williams said Flatt wrote 168 songs. Williams said most of the songs Williams wrote with Scruggs are still played.
Williams said Saturday’s celebration will educate the community on Flatt and show off the bluegrass community in the Upper Cumberland. Williams said aspiring musicians can spend most of their life in White County. Williams said they heard the Grand Ole Opry on radio and drove to Nashville easily.
“People that came from here we always had the live music on the radio sessions there was a lot of jam sessions and picking 30 or 40 years ago,” Williams said. “And watched the great TV shows, that were on the air at the time sort of promoted that.”
Flatt joined Scruggs in 1948. Together, with the Foggy Mountain Boys, they popularized bluegrass music nationwide until they separated in 1969.
Williams said when Flatt played banjo with him he introduced him from being from Sparta. Flatt was born in Overton, but considered White County his home.
Williams said the Celebration on Liberty Square tries to pay homage to Flatt’s legacy. Williams said he tries to do history lesson on Flatt every year.
