Kentucky
Worth the Drive: East Kentucky museum preserves the legacy of country music legends
Country music is a way of life for many in Kentucky, and one Eastern Kentucky museum embodies the spirit of the music and Bluegrass State musicians like none other.
In Paintsville, the county seat of Johnson County in far-east Kentucky, the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum highlights the lives and careers of dozens of Kentucky-born stars whose contributions to the country music genre landed them a spot on the Country Music Highway — a stretch of U.S. 23 that winds through Kentucky and is designated as a national scenic byway.
Paintsville is located at the “heart” of the Country Music Highway, making it an apt location for the museum, said Jeremiah Parsons, executive director for Paintsville Tourism, which operates the museum.
“The museum was opened in April of 2005 as a way to encapsulate and forever enshrine those country music artists from the Country Music Highway,” Parsons said. “It’s a way to show the legacy and to continue on their music.”
How the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum honors musicians
The U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum has no shortage of artists from the areas surrounding the highway to honor.
“We have more country music artists per capita than anywhere else in the world from this section of highway,” Parsons said.
The museum includes items from the careers of star musicians like Chris Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, Billy Ray Cyrus and many more. All items on display are donated by the artists or their families to ensure authenticity, Parsons said.
A few standout items include Stapleton’s boots, Lynn’s guitars, Tom T. Hall’s upright bass and Ricky Skaggs’ family photos.
While not every artist recognized along the Country Music Highway is represented in the museum, Parsons hopes to change that. The museum has reached its space capacity but is hoping to expand in the coming years to allow space for artists without exhibits, Parsons said.
“The Country Music Highway is very dynamic. We always have rising stars,” he said. “We want to give them their proper space, as well.”
What else to know about the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum
Throughout the year on Thursdays, the museum hosts “Front Porch Pickin’” events where musicians can play for a live crowd.
Admission to the museum is $5, which includes the weekly jam sessions for those who come on Thursday evenings.
For Parsons, commemorating country music in Eastern Kentucky bigger than saluting individuals — it’s about paying homage to the Appalachian region and its people.
“It’s an awesome responsibility because you’ve got a lot that you have to manage,” Parsons said. “It’s also a burden, because you’re making sure that you continue to tell the story of the mountains, of the people and of the legacy of these artists.”
Contact reporter Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X.
The momentum from Ryan Hampton’s commitment on Sunday morning didn’t slow down for Mark Pope!
Later that day, 4-star 2027 point guard Jaxson Davis announced on Instagram that he had received an offer from Kentucky. The 6-foot-1 guard out of Warren Township in Gurnee, Illinois, is ranked No. 42 overall in the 2027 recruiting cycle by 247 Sports and is considered the top prospect in the state of Illinois.
Davis isn’t just some name on a list. He took home his second consecutive Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year award after a standout junior season, and he’s backed it up on the EYBL circuit this spring with MeanStreets, averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting nearly 39 percent from three. Some of that production came with Kentucky coaches in the building.
The offer list is crowded: Missouri, Iowa, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and more are all involved, so this one will take time. But one detail worth noting: Among the players Davis says he models his game after is former Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey.
With Hampton already on board, the Cats are building something in the 2027 class, perhaps the best class Pope has had in Lexington.
LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Three people in Kentucky were killed in a reported murder-suicide Saturday night after a police chase through Knox and Laurel counties.
According to a news release, the Barbourville City Police had been chasing a vehicle around 10:45 p.m. June 6 regarding a report of a possible domestic violence complaint.
Knox County authorities had received the complaint after three people had reportedly left a residence in Barbourville to get something to eat.
Parents of one of the people were concerned and called Knox County dispatch, and police located the vehicle, which allegedly did not stop. Barbourville police chased the vehicle through Knox County into Laurel County. It ended on KY-312 when the vehicle struck another vehicle.
When authorities caught up to the vehicle, officers found the bodies of three people inside the vehicle. They were identified as 21-year-old James Priddy of Bimble, 18-year-old Jadence Ann Marie Hale, and 19-year-old Kira Lila Hope Asher of Lily.
A preliminary investigation suggests Priddy allegedly shot and killed Hale and Asher, then reportedly killed himself.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office advised Saturday night that the area on KY-312 between Mill Creek Drive and Hood Road would be closed during the investigation.
The roadway has since reopened.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Things have been going well on the recruiting front lately for the Kentucky Wildcats. Head coach Will Stein and his staff in Lexington continue to set the tone in plenty of recruitments after landing 18 top targets in the 2027 class. Here is the latest on the recruiting front for Kentucky.
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