From Hollers to Hilltops, Morningstar Shines Bright

The wild people and wonderful stories of West Virginia have a unique voice in Mike Morningstar. The state native (and legend in many parts) will bring his folksy and straightforward storytelling to Greenbrier County, performing at Stuart’s Smokehouse in Alderson, WV on Sunday, June 2 at 9pm.

Mike Morningstar is originally from Parkersburg WV, but his name is renowned far beyond city limits to pool halls and honky-tonks all over the state. At the age of 12, he began learning the ‘flat pick’ style of guitar playing, as his health was bad. At the age of 16, he began his professional career, joining a rhythm and blues band that was composed of mostly African American artists.

His musical style is best described as an evolution of true-life experiences, peppered with passionate points of view, all characterized by a traditional mountain sound. Morningstar’s repertoire also includes classic tunes by Bob Dylan , John Prine and other artists who have influenced his music over the years. But every song in Mike’s eclectic playlist features his signature string twangs of Blues, Bluegrass, Country and Folk.

He has opened for names such as Doc Watson, Marshal Tucker Band, Vince Gill, “Spider John” Koerner, Paul Geremia, Pure Prairie League, Tom Wopat, Dan Seals, Mike Cross, John Hartford and the Goose Creek Symphony.

In 1993, Morningstar appeared on the nationally syndicated West Virginia Public Radio program, Mountain Stage, in a singer/songwriter concert featuring artists, bluesman John Hammond and American Indian songwriter Bill Miller. Mountain Stage provided the opportunity for Mike’s music to be heard on over 160 National Public Radio affiliates across the country.

Rick Roberts, his long-time friend and collaborator, returned to West Virginia in …. and he and Mike have been playing gigs as a duo ever since. Morningstar and Roberts have a faithful following of foot-stomping fanatics, from points in the Panhandle to the deepest dips in Greenbrier Valley.

Talk to any dedicated Mike Morningstar fan and the conversation, inevitably, will turn to the hickory stick. It is Mike’s own unique creation using a hickory stick, one string and an acoustic pick-up. The resulting sound is an in-your-face sass experience that enthralls and literally moves his audience, wherever he performs. It’s a foot stomping, crowd-pleasing, string sensation that dares dancers to sit still.

Any Saturday on the Greenbrier River is a good time. Don’t miss this opportunity to see a live performance by legendary Mike Morningstar on the river’s edge at Stuart’s Smokehouse. It’s a guaranteed one-of-a-kind way to enjoy more fun than you can shake a (hickory) stick in GBV!