CLAY CITY, Ky. (lex 18) — The outside is misleading.
An unassuming building off a gravel road in Clay City opens a door to a place seemingly untouched by time.
It may as well be a second home to Rickey Wasson.
“This place has been here since 1974 when we started having bluegrass shows here at Meadowgreen in Clay City. This particular building was built in 1986 to have indoor shows during the winter time," Wasson said.
"Ever since 1986, every winter in October we have shows up until the middle of April. Bluegrass shows, traditional Bluegrass shows.”
Kentucky is the Bluegrass State so Bluegrass music should come pretty honest around here.
The Meadowgreen Appalachian Music Hall has become the humble home for the genre.
Wasson has become the loyal audio operator for these concerts, making sure everything comes in clear both in the hall and online.
“All the Bluegrass bands came here Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Jimmy Martin, JD Crowe," Wasson said.
"I was always a part of it to do what I could do and come see all the bands. All my heroes who played music.”
The Hall has become a mainstay for many people in Powell County but also Bluegrass lovers from around the region.
Darrell Billings was born and raised in Powell County and has found memories of Meadowgreen dating back to his childhood.
“When I was a boy when they first started here 40 some years ago I was about 15 years old. Three or four times a year me and my mother come down, me and my wife come down. It’s a great environment," Billings said.
“You look around and it’s a place, I just told somebody earlier, you can bring your children and turn them loose and never have to worry about them. You can just enjoy the music and the atmosphere. Just a pure, pure place and a wonderful experience.”
The hall can pack in about 300 people from stage to rafters (which is only about a 50 stretch) to enjoy the sweet sounds of a genre all its own.
Wasson thinks of it fondly every night, reminding him of his career as a musician.
“I played music most of my whole life since I was 5-6 years old. I was fortunate enough to play with JD Crowe and the New South out of Lexington, Kentucky for about 15 years before JD’s passing," Wasson said.
“Always been a blessing to my life because all of my heroes come to town and play music. Now it’s become my job to help keep it going as long as I can.”
The music hall embodies the phrase "by the community, for the community."
As a nonprofit, the hall has stayed standing because of people showing their support.
"Basically we give the bands what comes in. There’s no paid workers here but we have a great staff that comes and works because we all believe in the music and we want to keep it going," Wasson said.
That faith in people has kept the doors open for more than 40 years.
It's become a symbol not just for Bluegrass music but for Powell County as a whole.
“I can’t even talk about how precious home is. Everything in this community. Everything that goes on here," Billings said
"From the Red River Gorge to here at Meadowgreen, it’s just something that’s pretty special and if you’ve never been here, you’ll never really fully understand it."
If you want to check out Meadowgreen Music Park, you can learn more here.
