Southern Soul and Song Series is serious about country, blues

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Southern Soul and Song Series is serious about country, blues
September 7, 2011
By Lynn Davidson
The Augusta Chronicle

For almost a decade, South­ern Soul and Song has been the go-to concert series for serious country, bluegrass, roots, blues and Americana fans. This year, those fans had a say in who would fill the bill.

“This year is unusually good,” said Kevin Grogan, the director of the Morris Museum of Art and founder of Southern Soul and Song. “We really attempted to have the audience select the programs of the season.”

A survey was sent to past subscribers of the series to allow members of the community to rank their preference of past performers and suggest new ones.

“As a result, Marty Stuart and the FabulousSuperlatives, Mountain Heart and Tony Rice and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage are all returning by popular demand,” Grogan said, adding that several performers are coming for the first time because of a large number of requests.

“We love coming there, and it’s exciting to come back,” Rhonda Vincent said. “I remember my first time in Augusta. I was amazed over the enthusiasm for bluegrass. I didn’t expect to find such a love of bluegrass in Georgia … I remember it being a full house, and everybody was so excited.”

Grogan founded the monthly concert series in 2003 as another way to accomplish the museum’s mission of enhancing the quality of life in the region and to broaden the knowledge and appreciation of art of the American South.

“And obviously, music, dance and other forms of cultural expression are a form of art,” Gro­gan said. “So, Southern Soul and Song is a perfect complement to what we do at the museum.”

The six-month series also serves as a fundraiser for the art museum, providing concerts on Sundays, art and educational programs for families and film showings and discussions at no charge to the public.

“Our mission is multifold,” Grogan said. “But, certainly one goal is just to have a good time, and to associate it with the Morris Museum of Art. And we are enriching the knowledge of arts in this region of the country in the process.”