J Clay Reed 

I have been told...

that I started singing before I could talk. The story goes that my grandmother was singing while holding me and I started to make sounds in pitch and repeat back to her the vibrations. I imagine it was the combination of love and the physical feeling of being in this body that led to my first attempts at communicating with the world. Well, I still find it the most effective and fulfilling way to enjoy my time here.

My Dad played some guitar. The whole family on both sides, being born into the West Virginia hills of Appalachia, provided me the atmosphere to grow up with music. It was “just fine” as a way to get along with people. It was a natural progression, like so many of my contemporaries, to enter the realm of performing at the Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams portal at the age of four. Once inside, it was Glen Campbell, Chet Adkins, Jerry Reed, Carlos Montoya, and all the influences they had before them.  It was shaping me into what you hear and feel from me today.
 
Someone came up with the term “Americana” to give a desktop icon to the multicultural nature of the music. I guess that applies to me as well as any description. It is a pure pleasure to be here, sharing my part of the music learned from the people before me. My one true hope is for people to take in a breath-full, enjoy it and pass it around.  It’ll come back to you brighter.

Thanks for being here,

Jeff