ARTISTS CONTACT PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release October 27, 2021 MARTY STUART SHARES NEW SONG “‘TILL I GET IT RIGHT” WATCH VIDEO HERE TAMMY WYNETTE COVER IS THE EIGHTH SINGLE OFF SONGS I SING IN THE DARK, COLLECTION OF SONGS INCLUDING ORIGINALS AND OLD FAVORITES KICKS OFF HONOR YOUR HOMETOWN CAMPAIGN ALONGSIDE KEN BURNS Today, Marty Stuart shares his new cover of Tammy Wynette’s “‘Till I Get It Right” the eighth single off Songs I Sing In The Dark , a collection of songs recorded acoustically at Marty’s former home outside of Nashville. Watch the video for “‘Till I Get It Right” here. Stuart shares about the song: One of the greatest singers to have ever walked planet earth was Tammy Wynette. She could melt the coldest of hearts with her silk and honey voice. I’ve said it many times, “If you are going through a D-I-V-O-R-C-E, I dare you to go to Tammy’s original homeland of Tremont, Mississippi on a pitch-black night, find a spot out in the country, park your car, turn off the lights, and then play Tammy’s recording of D-I-V-O-R-C-E. If you are human, you will cry your eyes out and melt onto the ground. Tammy is a good friend to turn to when your world is falling apart. Her songs let you know that she understands. “‘Till I Get It Right” is one of Tammy’s later career pieces that continues to gain much deserved recognition and stands in its own light as an understated classic. I’ve always loved the song. “‘Till I Get It Right” has been approached by a lot of singers. I’ve been guilty of saying, “‘Till I Get It Right” should be left alone, worthy only to have been touched by Tammy. Mainly because the song seems so personal and could only have been delivered at a level of sadness that one has to live through in order to hit all of the emotional touchstones to convey what lies behind the words. That being said, I stepped up and did the unthinkable. I did exactly what I said no one should do. I recorded “‘Till I Get It Right”. The reason I did is that I was truly sad enough to think I could sing it. On the day I recorded it, “‘Till I Get It Right” was the only song I could think of that was as sad as I was. The reason for the sadness was my wife Connie had to go into the hospital for COVID. It was eleven days of pure hell. Nashville was snowed in and Connie’s life hung in the balance. The family couldn’t go visit, and the doctor offered little hope. They bombed Connie for ten days with massive doses of medicine although nothing changed for the better. On the tenth day I knew if the medicine along with all of the prayers that were being prayed for her didn’t soon find their mark, Connie would not be coming home. In the midst of all of this, Mick Conley and I had previously booked time to record. I considered canceling. However, I reconsidered afterthinking of the sessions as an opportunity to let the power of music touch my hurting heart. The anxiety that was rolling around inside of me needed to engage in some form of rebellion. Singing a Tammy Wynette song seemed to be the most absurd, challenging, unsafe, and unthinkable thing I could do short of plunging into the next level of insanity which would probably have landed me in jail. Recording “‘Till I Get It Right” was daunting and it required faith. It’s great to have friends to call on when you’re troubled. Mick Conley, Paul, March and Kell Martin along with Kristin Wilkinson and her Superlative Strings came by to help me get my mind off of my worries. We made music and dedicated it to Connie. One last reason for me having no business singing “‘Till I Get It Right” is I did get it right when I married Connie. Ours is a true love story. There’s very little sadness to dwell on. Her story also has a happy ending. It took some time, but she whipped COVID and is now back and singing her heart out. Perhaps the deepest of all of the Songs I Sing in the Dark to date, is nowhere for your consideration. And it’s offered with the greatest of love and admiration for my fellow Mississippian, who was truly one of the greatest of all time. Here’s to Tammy Wynette. Marty Stuart will share a new song from the album a month, alongside a personal statement about each song’s importance, both personally and in the context of country music. Stuart said of his new collection, “The title tells the story. I have a long line of songs that range from obscure, originals, to old favorites from various musical worlds that I often sing to myself when I’m alone. Until recently, I had never formally made a list of all the titles. When I did, I saw in those titles so many great songs that need to be remembered and passed down. There was a mighty congregation of names of profound songwriters whose presence and lyrics are to be cherished. And, looking into those songs I could hear the music of those brilliant musicians, arrangers, and singers who brought those tunes to life, and gave the world reason to love them. In the wake of these revelations, I was inspired to finally go to work on the idea of Songs I Sing in the Dark.” Marty Stuart is currently on tour. Full tour dates below and tickets are available here. Yesterday, renowned documentary producer Ken Burns and Marty Stuart, launched the Honor Your Hometown campaign to encourage Americans to celebrate their hometowns and reflect on their shared experiences and common values. The Honor Your Hometown campaign kicks off with the release of more than 150 powerful and poignant videos from some of America’s most revered institutions and beloved individuals, such as the late General Colin Powell, sharing personal, touching stories of their hometowns and the role they play in bringing us together as Americans. For more information and links to the inaugural Honor Your Hometown videos, please visit www.honoryourhometown.com. Recently, The Country Music Association announced the induction of Marty Stuart into the Country Music Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 in the Modern Era Artist category. Stuart is inducted alongside Dean Dillon (Songwriter Category) and Hank Williams Jr. (Veterans Era Artist). “It is the ultimate honor in Country Music,” says Stuart. “I’m so honored to be included in this class and I’m honored to be included alongside Hank Jr. and Dean Dillon. I love those people. To be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is beyond words. I’m usually not at a loss for words.” Details regarding a formal induction ceremony for Dillon, Stuart and Williams will be released as information is available. Full information about the class of 2020 inductees is available on the CMA site. Stuart is currently raising funds and awareness for The Marty Stuart Congress of Country Music (MSCCM) in Philadelphia, Mississippi which will celebrate the rich cultural heritage of country music through live musical performance and educational programming. This tribute to the culture and rural ethics of America will be presented in a world-class country music museum and performing arts center. Marty Stuart has assembled a collection that spans over 20,000 pieces to tell a rich, emotional, and personal story of the lives of our common heritage. The $30 million project will create a 50,000+ square foot campus featuring the historic and recently renovated Ellis Theater, a newly constructed museum, classrooms, a community hall, meeting and event space, and a rooftop performance venue. MSCCM will embrace the roots of country music in its educational curriculum and programming. Changing displays will include internationally travelled artifacts and memorabilia, photography, outsider/folk art and Native American crafts. These art forms represent country music’s history and foreshadow its future. Musical programming will feature both legendary stars and the emerging artists of tomorrow. Marty Stuart is a five-time GRAMMY-winner, platinum recording artist, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Americana Music Association, Grand Ole Opry star, country music archivist, photographer, musician, and songwriter. Since starting out singing gospel as a child, Stuart has spent over four decades celebrating American roots music. His teenage years on tour with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt in the ’70s were followed by six years in Johnny Cash’s band in the ’80s, and a chart-topping tenure as a solo artist in the ’90s. Marty Stuart Tour Dates THU 11 NOVEMBER Florida Theatre Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL, US FRI 12 NOVEMBER Bilheimer Capitol Theatre Clearwater, FL, US THU 18 NOVEMBER Victory Theatre Evansville, IN, US FRI 19 NOVEMBER Blue Gate Performing Arts Center Shipshewana, IN, US SAT 20 NOVEMBER Stoughton Opera House Stoughton, WI, US SAT 27 NOVEMBER Alhambra Theatre Hopkinsville, KY, US FRI 10 DECEMBER Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Center Cincinnati, OH, US SAT 11 DECEMBER Andrew J. Brady Icon Music Center Cincinnati, OH, US FRI 17 DECEMBER Walker Theatre Chattanooga, TN, US SAT 18 DECEMBER Bijou Theatre Knoxville, TN, US THU 13 JANUARY Lexington Opera House Lexington, KY, US FRI 14 JANUARY Robins Theatre Warren, OH, US SAT 15 JANUARY Gary & Laura Maurer Concert Hall Chicago, IL, US THU 20 JANUARY Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA, US FRI 21 JANUARY The Ramkat Winston-Salem, NC, US THU 27 JANUARY 9:30 Club Washington, DC, US FRI 28 JANUARY The Flying Monkey Plymouth, NH, US SAT 29 JANUARY Newton Theatre Newton, NJ, US SUN 30 JANUARY The Egg Albany, NY, US THU 10 FEBRUARY Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre New Braunfels, TX, US FRI 11 FEBRUARY Manship Theatre Baton Rouge, LA, US FRI 25 MARCH Gateway City Arts Holyoke, MA, US Marty Stuart on the web: Official Website – www.martystuart.net Facebook – www.facebook.com/martystuarthq Twitter – www.twitter.com/martystuarthq YouTube – www.youtube.com/martystuartofficial Instagram- www.instagram.com/martystuart For more information, please contact Mary Moyer (mary@qprime.com) or Emilio Herce (emilio@qprime.com) at Q Prime 212.302.9790. ARTIST BIO With legends like George Jones, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard all passed on, country music purists often echo the question Jones himself asked: “Who’s going to fill their shoes?” The answer, in part, is Marty Stuart. While he’s too gracious to admit it himself, the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and musician is living, breathing country-music history. He’s played alongside the masters, from Cash to Lester Flatt, who discovered him; been a worldwide ambassador for Nashville, Bakersfield and points in between; and safeguarded country’s most valuable traditions and physical artifacts. Including its literal shoes: Stuart counts the brogan of Carter Family patriarch A.P. Carter and an assortment of Cash’s black boots among his vast collection of memorabilia. But most importantly, Stuart continues to record and release keenly relevant music, records that honor country’s rich legacy while advancing it into the future. Way Out West, his 18th studio album, hits both of those marks. Produced by Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), the album is a cinematic tour-de-force, an exhilarating musical journey through the California desert that solidifies Stuart as a truly visionary artist. Opening with a Native American prayer, a nod to Stuart’s affinity for the indigenous people, particularly the Lakota, Way Out West transports the listener to the lonely but magical American West. It is, in its own way, musical peyote. “If you go and sit by yourself in the middle of the Mojave Desert at sundown and you’re still the same person the next morning when the sun comes up, I’d be greatly surprised,” says Stuart. “It is that spirit world of the West that enchants me.” Specifically the promised land of California. Growing up in Philadelphia, Mississippi, Stuart was taken by the mystique of the Golden State: the culture, the movies and especially the music. “Everything that came out of California captivated my kid mind in Mississippi,” he says. “It seemed like a fantasy land. Way Out West is a love letter to that.” As such, the album could only be recorded there, and Stuart, with his longtime backing band the Fabulous Superlatives, decamped for California. They recorded half of the album at Capitol Records and the rest at Campbell’s M.C. Studio, a gritty space with a vibe all its own. Much of the early Heartbreakers music was recorded at Campbell’s and that primal rock & roll energy is palpable throughout Way Out West, reinforced by Capitol’s own rock history: the Hollywood studio birthed iconic records like the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and the country-rock of Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman. Way Out West, with its atmospheric production, evokes those classics, as well as cowboy records like Marty Robbins’ Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs and Cash’s The Fabulous Johnny Cash, one of the first albums Stuart ever owned. “This is a California record, and I knew that when I emerged from the studio at night, I wanted to see palm trees and breathe that desert air,” says Stuart. Listeners too can feel the warmth of those Santa Ana winds over the album’s 15 tracks, a collection of newly written originals, instrumentals and rare covers like the Benny Goodman-penned “Air Mail Special,” and “Lost on the Desert,” once recorded by Johnny Cash. “I asked Johnny about that song when I was in his band, and he said the only thing he remembered about it was changing some words,” laughs Stuart. “But Way Out West just as easily could have been titled Lost on the Desert.” The idea of losing oneself runs through Way Out West, with the title track both a spiritual adventure and a cautionary tale – Stuart wraps up the travel ballad with a spoken aside about his own bad trips with pills. “I researched that for 30 years,” he jokes, self-deprecatingly. “There’s a lot of truth in that song.” The rollicking standout “Time Don’t Wait” also offers a warning: to not let life race by. “As the dirt fell through my fingers / the wind it seemed to say / don’t put off until tomorrow, what you can today,” sings Stuart. “That’s just country wisdom. I can’t claim that. But I like when you can talk about the simple things that are around us. That makes country music come to life for me,” he says. When it comes to transforming country songs into tangible experience, Stuart has a secret weapon: the Fabulous Superlatives. Made up of guitarist Kenny Vaughan, drummer Harry Stinson and new member, bassist Chris Scruggs, the Superlatives are an extension of Stuart himself. “The Superlatives are missionaries, they’re fighting partners. They’re my Buckaroos, my Tennessee Three, my Strangers. They’re my legacy band and have been since Day One,” says Stuart. Along with the playing of Mike Campbell, who contributed guitar, B-3 organ and piano, the Fabulous Superlatives are all over Way Out West and ensure that the mystical detours Stuart explores always remain of the moment. As Stuart himself will tell you, he often ventures off the reservation – in a way, his entire career has been “way out west.” While other artists chased popular trends in the name of radio play, he formed complete bodies of work, not unlike the greats he idolized. Way Out West is just the latest embodiment of that creative mission. “I would play this record for Hank Williams, Merle Haggard or Ernest Hemingway and never bat an eye,” says Stuart. “There’s something in there that would entertain each of them.” But Stuart also made Way Out West for those who come after. As he sees it, there is no greater responsibility in music than to share what you’ve learned. “Lester Flatt saw something in me and gave me his wisdom, wit and music. Johnny Cash was my best friend. But all of that doesn’t come for free. The job is to pass it along,” says Stuart, stretching out his arms. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be in country music.” With Way Out West, Stuart holds up his end of the deal. 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