With the help of ETSU’s Dr. Ted Olson, rediscover the legacy of Steve Young
Primarily known for having composed the popular song “Seven Bridges Road,” singer-songwriter Steve Young remains broadly influential if largely overlooked.
A pioneering figure in the three music subgenres of country-rock, outlaw country and Americana, Young recorded many critically acclaimed albums.
The Eagles, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., Billy Strings, Alan Jackson and Del McCoury are among those who have performed and recorded his songs.
In August 2024, Omnivore Recordings released a three-CD set celebrating Young’s life and music.
East Tennessee State University’s Dr. Ted Olson is a co-producer.
Titled “Stars in the Southern Sky,” the set features Young’s legendary, but long unavailable, 1975 album “Honky-Tonk Man” along with 34 previously unreleased mid-1970s concert recordings by Young, including his own versions of “Seven Bridges Road” and of such other compositions as “Montgomery in the Rain,” “Lonesome On’ry and Mean” and the gospel song “Many Rivers.”
Among the concert recordings are Young’s covers of several traditional ballads and blues, as well as of songs by a “who’s who” of Southern songwriters ranging from Hank Williams Sr. to Johnny Horton.
Young, a native of Appalachia, performed in Johnson City at the Down Home.
And in 2000, at the invitation of Olson, a professor in ETSU’s Appalachian Studies and Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies, Young presented a workshop on songwriting to bluegrass and English students at ETSU.
“No doubt the students who had the privilege of attending that workshop hold fond memories of it,” said Olson.
Earlier this month, Olson hosted a panel discussion on Young’s influence at the AMERICANAFEST conference in Nashville.
“Stars in the Southern Sky” is intended to introduce “Honky-Tonk Man” to a new generation while incorporating recordings from two previously unreleased live concerts by Young from the mid-1970s. Grammy Award-winning sound engineer Michael Graves remastered all the recordings.
“It was an honor to have helped with this set,” said Olson. “Steve Young deserves more credit for his significant contributions to American music, and I hope that ‘Stars in the Southern Sky’ will help to make more people aware of his legacy.”
Learn more about the new CD set here.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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