STAPLETON — Amanda Cook is coming home.
The nationally recognized bluegrass artist grew up on the sweet sounds of acoustic bluegrass melodies in the towns of Alabama and western …
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STAPLETON — Amanda Cook is coming home.
The nationally recognized bluegrass artist grew up on the sweet sounds of acoustic bluegrass melodies in the towns of Alabama and western Florida.
This weekend she returns to her smalltown roots to headline the Stapleton Bluegrass Festival, a community tradition revived five years ago by Stapleton School Principal Jim Perry. In just three years his spark of an idea grew into one of the biggest and best bluegrass festivals in the state. Now it is a can't miss event for music lovers near and far.
"Coming to this event is a no-brainer for us," Cook said. "We love what they do there, and this is really a hometown show for us."
Cook and her band will be performing songs from their new album, "Changes" which was available for streaming Oct. 14.
They will be joined on stage throughout the day by The Chestangs, a bluegrass gospel group from McIntosh, Alabama, the five-string playing Byrd Family, eclectic bluegrass playing favorite Fat Man Squeeze, new age inspired Weary Heart and traditional bluegrass band The Southern Gentlemen.
Cook said the inclusive list of bluegrass sounds that will be on hand that day will make the show appealing to all audiences.
"The mix of bands they are having is going to give people new to bluegrass many options to really hear bluegrass in different ways," she said. "For those who like traditional there will be traditional too. It's really all about the fun and the laughs. It's going to be a great day."
The Amanda Cook band is playing this year in honor of guitar player Aaron Foster who died unexpectedly in 2021. Foster had played previously at the Stapleton festival and loved the hospitality he found in the tiny town, she said.
"Doing this new record without him was a difficult process," Cook said. "We found strength in one another to carry on. There are a lot of easter eggs in the new record that allude to his presence."
The festival was originally a cornerstone of the fall calendar in the early 1980s after an informal bluegrass gathering was held in Stapleton to raise money for a new town fire station. A committee formed soon after to build another bluegrass event to raise money for a community park and a tradition was born.
After a 20-year run the festival was put on hiatus. Five years ago, the staff, parents and students at Stapleton School revived the tradition in an effort to raise money for the tiny school.
Now, the day full of music, food, and activities has garnered 10 million views on Facebook and YouTube and been named the can't miss bluegrass event in all of Alabama.
"I'm just tickled that our little fundraiser has turned into a legitimate bluegrass music festival," Perry said. "That has been our vision all along. It's gratifying to see that come to pass."
The day, which has raised thousands of dollars for improvements at Stapleton School, has helped to fund a greenhouse, butterfly garden and other educational enhancements.
"It allows us to continue to make this a better place for kids to grown and learn," Perry said.
