Pembroke singer/songwriter, Matt York has a story to tell. Only this time, it’s not his story. The musician has been featured as my Local Catch artist of the week with his original music, in the past. Now, Matt makes his living taking country music legends Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson on the road with him, performing their music live.
For those who don’t know, the renowned musicians formed a supergroup called the Highwaymen in 1985. They were looking to spark their creativity, and to revitalize country music. They made 3 albums together and performed as The Highwaymen for 10 years.
York told the Boston Globe, “What initially started as a way for me to fill in some dates and help pay the bills has mushroomed into doing over 120 performances across Massachusetts, mainly thanks to cultural council grants that I’ve received.” Since that article was written, Matt has traveled all over the country, peforming the music of the iconic country stars. He sings the songs of The Highwaymen, and the individual artists. In addition, York has written a book on the subject, The Highwaymen’s Songs and Stories. and sells it at his performances.
Matt’s show is an experience. You’ll hear him tell stories of the artists and the songs, as well as performing them. Clearly, this artist has found a niche. No one else is doing anything like this. And to think it all came into being because he and his wife were laid off and needed to find a way to make ends meet. He had performed songs of legends locally, and was encouraged by a fan to seek grants for state-funded cultural arts, awarded by every town and city. York applied to all of them and was awarded 100 grants, according to the Boston Globe article.
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