CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A West Virginia treasure is undergoing a transition.
Mountain Stage, which has been produced in West Virginia for distribution to the
world for the past 38 years, will soon have a new name as its host. Longtime
host and creator Larry Groce will step aside and the new host will be a familiar
figure, Kathy Mattea.
“She’s a world famous singer and we were surprised
she was willing to do it. But just like it’s a time in my life to step aside, I
think it might be a time in her life to try something new,” Groce told
MetroNews.
Mattea is a native of Cross Lanes and is a successful Grammy
winning performing artist. She’s been a performer on the show and has also
hosted in recent years.
The program was first created in 1981 by Groce
and two co-creators Andy Ridenour and Francis Fisher. The pilot was made in 1981
and the first regular show started in 1983. Groce has hosted almost every one of
the shows which are recorded live at the state Culture Center in Charleston on
Sunday nights and are distributed through National Public Radio a month
later.
Mountain Stage is heard on nearly 300 public radio stations
nationwide. Each two-hour episode of Mountain Stage is recorded in front of an
audience and features a variety of musical styles, in genres ranging from
traditional roots, folk, blues, and country, to indie rock, alternative, synth
pop, world music ,and beyond. Some of their most iconic guests over the years
have included John Prine, Odetta, Wilco, R.E.M., Angélique Kidjo, Phish, Mavis
Staples, Allen Toussaint, Alison Krauss, Townes Van Zandt, Patti Smith, Allen
Ginsberg, Miriam Makeba, Dr. John, Buddy Guy, and Preservation Hall Jazz
Band.
Groce said the idea was loosely based on musical institutions like
the Grand Ole Opry or the Wheeling Jamboree, but there were also
differences.
“Our music pallet was much wider than that, but that was the
idea to do music in front of a live audience with multiple performers on every
show, but to also give everybody enough time to do more than one or two songs,”
Groce said.
The show initially was just a West Virginia concern, but
Groce dreamed big from the start.
“We started modestly in West Virginia,
from the beginning I told the guys I’d like to try for a national show. They
were satisfied with a statewide show, but I said let’s at least try. Plus nobody
could predict it would still be going this many years later,” he
said.
Groce will be stepping aside as the show’s host, but he’s not going
away. He’ll remain on board as the Artistic Director and will remain involved
behind the scenes. He added he may also still host occasionally, but said he
planned to have a whole lot more free time going forward.