Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart riding wave of new projects into Lexington

As seems to be the case every time Marty Stuart comes to town, there is a grocery list of topics to discuss. All of them reflect myriad projects and events that make the veteran country music stylist, bandleader and historian one of the most prolific artists of his genre and generation.

Ahead of a return concert at the Lexington Opera House with his long-running Fabulous Superlatives combo on Jan. 13, there is a cauldron of activity to talk about – a late 2020 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, an ongoing collection of digital cover tunes titled “Songs I Sing in the Dark,” a celebratory collaboration with filmmaker Ken Burns of personal heritage titled the Honor Your Hometown Campaign and the fundraising for - and construction of - a comprehensive museum and cultural arts center in Stuart’s hometown of Philadelphia, Miss., called the Congress of Country Music.

But there is a more burning topic that Stuart wants to address first, one prompted by his upcoming visit to Lexington.

“Before we get started, you all lost J.D. Crowe up there, didn’t you?”

Stuart’s admiration for Crowe extends back to the late 1950s music the Lexington native and banjo pioneer made with bluegrass forefather Jimmy Martin. That’s hardly surprising given the scholarly command Stuart has of roots music history – a fact underscored by the considerable on-screen source info he provided Burns’ 2019 documentary series “Country Music.”

“I think one of the things, besides his playing, that set Crowe apart was the stuff he did with Jimmy Martin. I mean, he could have stopped right there. But the thing that was always so cool about J.D. was he came from that old line, that old master line, yet he was also a touchstone for young people. J.D. walked both of those worlds without any sweat. That was pretty cool.”

Stuart’s connection to Central Kentucky isn’t limited to his devotion to Crowe’s music. His last Lexington concert fell on March 7, 2020, also at the Opera House. He was the last national touring artist of prominence to play a local venue before the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a global lockdown that silenced all avenues of the performing arts. But as one might expect of an artist who continually juggles multiple projects, Stuart hardly sat idle during the lockdown. Well, at least not at first.

“Well, first and foremost, I enjoyed the time off because I haven’t really been home much. I mean, 1987, I think, was slow. But beyond that, from 1972 forward, I haven’t been home much at all. Basically, it’s been non-stop, so just to get to spend time with Connie (Smith, veteran country singer and Stuart’s wife of 24 years) was wonderful. But it also opened up a whole lot of time to create. The shelves are now stocked for probably the next two or three years with records, books, museum projects, the development of a cultural center, and on and on and on. The time was used wisely. Once the resting period happened … after that, the time was used wisely.

“The only thing missing was the road. I didn’t really realize how much I missed the road until we got back on it. We were playing down in St. Augustine with Jason Isbell. I walked out during his soundcheck and thought, ‘I will never take this for granted again.’ It was a wonderful feeling to be back.”

Among the many projects Stuart initiated during the lockdown that are just now starting to surface:

▪ “Songs I Sing in the Dark,” – a digital-only (as of now) collection of cover songs. Stuart has known and loved for years that he recorded with minimal production.

“This one is surely a product of the pandemic. It was started before the vaccines were approved, so I knew the band wouldn’t be getting back together at that time. My engineer, Mick Conley, started recording these songs just as something to do. There are 20 songs cut and live videos done. That’s probably enough for a while. It’s time to turn the page and go to something else now. But it served me well because it got to a piece of my heart and soul that I’ve been wanting to tap into for a long time.”

▪ “Congress of Country Music” – “That’s what I’m doing right now. I’m on I-65 South headed to Philadelphia, Mississippi. The Ellis Theatre (designed as a key part of the cultural center) is under renovation, so I’m going down to look in on that. It’s heading towards Phase Two now. It’s my life work. It’s my life sentence. I’ll doing this for the rest of my life. And I’m fine with that.”

▪ “Honor Your Hometown Campaign” – “I just love everything Ken (Burns) and his crew are involved in. The whole point of the thing is this: When you talk to somebody about their hometown, regardless of what political or spiritual persuasion they come from, people usually light up, get a look in their eye and will tell you a story. And that’s what we wanted to capture.”

Then there is the one event that occurred during the lockdown that wasn’t planned – Stuart’s December 2020 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “My favorite part about it is Connie got to induct me. I later found out we’re the only married couple that’s ever had that honor. ... George (Jones) and Tammy (Wynette) were not together when they went in. A.P. and Sara (Carter of the Carter Family) were divorced. Boudleaux and Felice (Bryant, famed songwriters) … well, Boudleaux was gone when he was inducted. So that’s quite an honor.”

As roadwork opens up for Stuart in 2022 (March 13 at the Opera House will be his first concert of the new year), another important and profoundly steadfast aspect of his music comes into play – his collaboration with the Fabulous Superlatives. Made up of guitarist Kenny Vaughan, drummer Harry Stinson and bassist Chris Scruggs, the resourceful trio has been Stuart’s stage and studio band for the past two decades.

“It’s just keeps getting better,” Stuart said of his work with the Superlatives. “It keeps getting richer. It’s keeps getting deeper. We love each other. We’re brothers and yet there’s never been an argument in the Superlatives camp. We talk about things and work them out. It’s just a once in a lifetime, divinely ordered situation. And that’s the band. Our crew is the same thing. It’s just a small band and crew.

“In reality, you don’t need anything else.”

Marty Stuart and Fabulous Superlatives

When: Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short

Tickets: $59.50 at ticketmaster.com.

COVID policy: This performance requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent COVID test to attend.

This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 6:00 AM.