Pikeville KY native John Clay grew up listening to his father’s bluegrass. The music of Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice lead him to picking up the mandolin. After a stint playing punk and hardcore during his teens and early 20’s, more seasoned writers like Haggard, Townes, Hubbard, and bands like Drive By Truckers, Whiskeytown, and Lucero started finding their way to his record player.
In 2013, John started writing and performing in Louisville and the surrounding region. In 2014 he won the Made in 502 Singer Songwriter competition and promptly hit the studio to record his first record.
You’ll be able to catch him this Sunday (1/27) for an evening of Americana and Folk music appearing with Eric Bolander of Lexington, and Mercy Bell of Nashville at Odeon.
From his debut EP Now It’s Time, is the song My Place (In This Place). This is John Clay, The Opening Act!
