Country Music it is!

R.I.P. Loretta Lynn 1932-2022

This post was originally released a couple months ago. However, with the recent death of Loretta Lynn, I thought I would update the post and rededicate it to Loretta. While others are mentioned, Country Music it is! primarily features the life of Loretta Lynn. Rest in Peace Loretta.

The Things I do for my Blog

So, I should first admit that I am not a big fan of Country Music. However, when I see interesting Americana, I am all over it. In this case, I recently discovered the Country Music Highway, otherwise known as US Route 23 in Kentucky. The Country Music Highway is a winding, generally north-south highway running the length of eastern Kentucky. It’s generally a very rural and mountainous region with a low population density. Despite the lack of humans, a remarkable amount of successful country music stars were born in hospitals, houses or barns just off this highway. As you travel down this highway, you are alerted to the country stars born in the area, as well as the associated tourist attractions. So, a road trip along the highway intrigued me. Therefore, Country Music it is!

Starting from the North

I started my road trip in Ashland, KY, which is the northern most point of the CM Highway. At this stop, I found the Paramount Theatre, which has been a noteworthy music venue for about 100 years. Also, you can stop at the Ashland Highland Museum. There you will find tributes to the country stars claimed by Ashland, KY. That would be Billy Ray Cyrus, and the Judds. The Billy Ray tribute was my favorite. Basically, they borrowed a mannequin from Kohl’s and put a mullet wig on it. Almost worth the $6.50 price of admission.

Get gas in Louisa, KY

The country music fun is not just limited to the museums and birth sites. Rather, fun can be had at the gas stations too. After heading south out of Ashland, be sure to stop at the Louisa, KY, Exxon station. Make this stop whether you need gas or not. Bear in mind, the following pictures are taken at the Exxon station, not the local museum. Also, to my shame, I also know that the most recent American Idol winner, Noah Thompson, is from Louisa.

Onward to the Museum

About halfway down the state, you come to Paintsville, KY, and the US 23 Country Music Highway Museum. I am not going to claim that I was overwhelmed by this museum. It’s a quiet small museum that makes you wonder how they stay in business. But, Goosebuster and I had the place to ourselves. If the visit accomplished anything, the museum did give us overall picture of all the artists that make up the Country Music Highway. The most noteworthy starts would include:

Loretta Lynn, Chris Stapleton, Dwight Yoakam, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Keith Whitley, Larry Cordle, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Gary Stewart, Hylo Brown, Crystal Gayle, Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless, and The Judds. 

The Crown Jewel – Butcher Holler

The museum did serve one purpose. It educated me on the Crown Jewel of our trip. Specifically, that would be Butcher Hollow…childhood home of Loretta Lynn. While many anoint her as the Queen of Country Music, her other title may be more known. That, of course, is the “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” This 1980 movie and hit song chronicled the real life of Loretta Lynn. As the song goes…“Well, I was born a coal miner’s daughter, in a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler.” Well, Butcher’s Hollow, Loretta’s childhood home, is still there. Her one room school house still stands. Sadly, the coal mine is closed, but ruins of the mine can be found. Again, I am not a country music fan and I did not even know of Butcher Hollow 6 months ago. However, I still found this place interesting…

Final Highlights from the Holler

If you were not aware, Loretta Lynn’s little sister happens to be country music star, Crystal Gayle. Both of them were raised in Butcher Holler. But, since Loretta did “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” she seems to get more credit. The fun of Butcher Holler goes beyond Loretta’s childhood home. I have to mention Webb’s Grocery. Webb’s Grocery Store was built in 1918 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The store, originally called Mine No. 5 Store, was the classic “company store” when the coal mine was operating. The building actually appeared in the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” movie, not to mention another movie by the name of “Let It Be War.” If that’s not enough to interest you, there is also a chicken fighting operation next to the grocery.

Wrap It Up

To go to Butcher’s Holler, you first must stop at Webb’s Grocery. You tell the proprietor that you want to see Butcher’s Holler. Then, he closes the grocery and jumps into his pickup truck. You follow him down a densely wooded, dirt road to the Holler. You go into the shack. Give him $5, and he tells you about the history of the Loretta’s family and the homestead. That is the absolute truth. It was a great ending to my day on the Country Music Highway. If you are only going to do one activity on the highway, do Webb’s Grocery and Butcher Holler. It’s down home fun for all. Have a wonderful day. PT

I hope you have enjoyed “Country Music It Is” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.

If you liked that down home adventure, here was another https://travelingwithpt.com/revisiting-the-hatfields-and-mccoys/

If you want to visit Butcher Holler, enjoy https://tourpikecounty.com/things-to-see-do/history_culture/tour-butcher-holler-loretta-lynns-home-place/

p.s. Once again, I want to give a special thanks to my friend and blog mission partner, Goosebuster. As I was deep in eastern Kentucky, his skills on KY navigation, eastern KY language translation, and heat packing, body guard were essential to the success of our mission.