Tyler Childers is Returning Kentucky Music to the Mountaintop

 For decades, the greater Appalachian region and "Rust Belt" section of the United States has cranked out countless musical acts that have shifted the global music scene immensely. From the likes of Ricky Scaggs and Loretta Lynn to Billy Ray Cyrus and Chris Stapleton, Kentucky specifically has been the strongest heartbeat for country music for a long time. In a time where country music went down the "pop" avenue throughout the 2000s and early 2010s, fans of bygone down-home country music were yearning for a new star. Along came the emergence of Tyler Childers, a Louisa, Kentucky native, to revitalize the cultural relevance of the beloved genre. At the young age of 19, after a period of time that consisted of performing for friends and family, Childers released his first album in 2011, entitled "Bottles and Bibles." Several albums, tours, and awards later, Tyler Childers sits atop the mountain of country music. From love songs and cocaine-fueled honky-tonk anthems to the sobering gospel hymns and songs crying out at social injustice, Childers' musical journey reflects his own life. With this wide range of emotions and stories to tell, Childers has proved himself as a rare instance of being a jack of all trades, while still being a master of most. Currently on a European tour at the time of the publishing of this blog post, Childers and his reverent band of local string-dusters, the "Food Stamps", are taking the influential tunes back to the land where Appalachian ancestors first formed the art. Beloved, revered, and occasionally controversial for his emotional depth and growth from 2011 until now, Tyler Childers is doing his due diligence to return the music of Kentucky to the mountaintop of appreciation.