Thompson, Skaggs, Cordle to return home for Septemberfest
By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor
LOUISA — Three of Lawrence County’s favorite sons are coming home for this year’s Septemberfest.
The Lawrence County Septemberfest Board announced Tuesday that Noah Thompson, who won this year’s “American Idol” competition, bluegrass and country music legend Ricky Skaggs, and singer-songwriter Larry Cordle — all Lawrence County natives — will perform at this year’s event.
Another county native, Bobby Cyrus, and his wife, Teddi Cyrus, will also be on the stage at this year’s festival as will other performers with local roots.
The announcement said this year’s Septemberfest theme is, appropriately, “Country Music Highway Homecoming,” which will “showcase the talent and success our area has produced in country music.”
“We expect this to be the biggest festival ever,” the announcement said.
Thompson, a 2020 graduate of Lawrence County High School, won the 20th season of ABC-TV’s “American Idol” in May.
“Noah is sure to excite the crowd with his single ‘One Day Tonight’ as well as a sneak peak on what he’s working on now,” the announcement said.
Skaggs and Cordle both hail from the Blaine-Brushy area of Lawrence County and, of course, are no strangers to Septemberfest.
The winner of 15 Grammys, Skaggs has “often said that he is ‘just trying to make a living’ playing the music he loves,” the announcement said.
“But it’s clear that his passion for it puts him in the position to bring his lovely, distinctively American form of music out of isolation and into the ears and hearts of audiences across the country and around the world,” the release said. “Ricky Skaggs is always forging ahead with cross-cultural, genre-bending musical ideas and inspirations.”
Likewise, Cordle has a “tremendous career in songwriting and performing country and bluegrass songs across the nation,” the release said.
“At last count, Cordle’s songs had appeared on projects that (to date) have sold a combined total of more than 55 million records,” the release said.
In addition to Skaggs, his songs have been performed by Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire and others.
Bobbie and Teddi Cyrus’ career is growing, and they have “some exiting things coming in the future,” the release said.
“They will both be here to kick the festival off,” the announcement said.
This year’s Septemberfest is Sept. 9-10, with Thompson, Skaggs, Cordle and the Cyruses performing on Sept. 9.
Performing on Sept. 10 will be another Louisa native, Adam Chaffins, with special guest Brit Taylor, who will “showcase his newest music,” the release said.
“Chaffins fins his inspiration in diverse musical styles and personal experiences,” the release said. “Creating a new lane of country and Americana music laced with tinges of R&B and indie rock, his multi-genre sound is distinctive while being comfortably familiar.”
Luna and the Mountain Jets will also perform on Sept. 10. Described in the release as an “Appalachian rock band,” the Eastern Kentucky quartet “covers a lot of musical ground.”
“They occupy the space between Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty with jangle riffs and acoustic-driven stories of rural life,” the release said. “Luna is from the Blaine area and has built a wonderful following of dedicated fans across the region.”
Luke Trimble, who has roots in Lawrence and Johnson counties, will also be on the Saturday lineup.
Trimble has “really taken off with his singing and song writing, recently playing popular shows like red Barn Radio and acoustic venues all over the region.”
“He has a tremendous fan base in Lawrence County and we’re looking forward to him,” the release said.
The Septemberfest Board said this is a “partial entertainment list” for this year’s festival and that other acts will be announced in the coming weeks.