I trace my family and musical roots from the Deep South Piedmont and Appalachian coal country, to Nashville-area middle Tennessee. Drawing influence from various traditions including the Texas singer-songwriters (Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, and Billy Joe Shaver) and traditional Appalachian folk (Ola Belle Reed, Hazel Dickens, Dock Boggs, and The Carter Family) my songs reflect the joy and pain I see in everyday life