Cumberland Mountain Boys, Russell Springs, KY performed throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, the Midwest and Canada (1942-47). Photo courtesy Kentucky Library, Western Kentucky University

Kentucky State Gospel Singing Convention

Held each October in Scottsville, the convention is an opportunity for non-professional gospel quartets and other groups from Kentucky and surrounding states to perform and hear each other sing. Some years a spring sing is held as well. As much a religious event as a musical one, this convention is a legacy of the shape-note singing schools popular in the South during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is documented in text, 22 photographs, program booklets, a videotape of the 1998 and 1999 conventions, and the book Singing the Glory Down: Amateur Gospel Music in South Central Kentucky, 1900-1990 by William Lynwood Montell.

Originally submitted by: Ed Whitfield, Representative (1st District).

More Local Legacies... Additional Kentucky Local Legacies Local Legacies for all U.S. States

The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.

Learn More About It... Related Web Site