Kentuckians helping Kentuckians is what it will all be about this Saturday, July 19 at Headliners Music Hall with some of the best musicians around. The event, presented by WFPK's Roots and Boots, is called 606 Strong: From Louisville with Love to benefit storm ravaged parts of Eastern, Ky. Proceeds will go to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund. The audience will be treated to the music of Darrell Scott, a multi-instrumentalist and producer from London, Ky. and now based in Nashville. Hunter Flynn, an up and coming singer/songwriter from Pulaski County, will also take the stage. And finally Abby Hamilton who's from Wilmore, Ky. will round out the lineup. I was able to catch up with Abby and Hunter recently and ask them each a couple of questions about their lives, music, and love for their home State.
Laura Shine: I love your album #1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo) and we played a couple of songs from it when it came out in 2023. Are you working on anything new?
Abby Hamilton: Well, what I can tell you is yes! I've got music coming out very very soon. I've been sitting on so many songs over the last few years. Excited to get them out!
Where are you from in Kentucky and how did you get your start in music? Was there a particular artist or person who inspired you to pursue music early on in life?
I grew up in Wilmore, KY. But my family is all from Virgie and Eastern, KY. My Great Aunts were in a southern gospel band called the "Hamilton Family Singers" so every Christmas we'd gather around the piano and sing hymns, Christmas carols, Robert Earl Keen, and more. I always grew up singing because of that. Learned harmonies with my family and played in church as a kid. I never saw myself doing any of it because I always had to be growing up. No one where I came from did it as a career. It was more like you sing in church or become a music teacher. It wasn't until college that my love for country music led me down a path towards songwriting. I found that some of my favorite songs were not written by the people that performed them. In fact, most were not. That kind of flipped my world upside down and I started writing as much as I could.
What does performing at the benefit 606 Strong to help fellow Kentuckians mean to you?
I'm so beyond honored to have been asked to participate in this benefit. Anyone who knows me knows how important it is for me to show my love and support for all of Eastern Kentucky and Appalachia. That land has raised me and the people in it have influenced my life and so much of this region in ways I wonder if they'll ever get paid back for. Doing my best to bring awareness to the needs of our neighbors that live oh so close to our front door. Honored to perform for it in Louisville as well.
Check out the official music video for Abby Hamilton's title track to her album #1 Zookeeper (of The San Diego Zoo)

Below is my conversation with Hunter Flynn:
I know you're from Somerset, KY. and wondered how the recovery is going and were you or your loved ones affected?
From what I can tell the recovery effort has been moving along smoothly. Though I'm sure there are still folks out there that need all the help they can get, and that's why we keep on trying to raise money and gather resources months after the initial storms. Time and time again, our community comes together and supports each other in a time of need. It's one of the many things that make me proud to be a Kentuckian.
What's the best thing folks could do to help?
Come to the show! If you can't make it to the show, donate to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund: This fund was established to support the tornado victims, with funds prioritizing rebuilding efforts. They're transparent, with no administrative fees, ensuring donations directly aid victims. You can always go and volunteer.
It seems that your career is taking off and I'm starting to hear the buzz quite a bit about your music which you describe as "Appalachian Soul". Can you expand on what that means to you?
"Appalachian Soul Music" is a phrase my dad came up with. My family has supported me from the beginning and has always kind of acted as my built in team. We found ourselves often getting asked what kind of music I played, and I never really felt like Country or Americana accurately represented what I do. So, when dad came up with Appalachian Soul Music I felt like that was perfect and it's stuck ever since.
You had a near-death experience a few years ago that propelled you to pursue music full time. Can you tell us how it gave you the courage and determination to do that and how that's paid off for you?
I flipped my old 4Runner 3 times across all 3 lanes on I75 going about 70 miles per hour with no seatbelt on. Miraculously I came away with nothing but some gnarly bruises and scratches. However, it forced me to realize just how quickly your time on earth can be taken from you and that if my time here had ended in that wreck, I had left nothing behind that I was proud of. So, in those moments immediately after the wreck I decided that I wouldn't spend another second of my life doing something I didn't love. I quit my job, and I moved back home after being gone for 7 years, I stopped comparing my life to everyone else's, and is cliché as it sounds, I started chasing my dreams. I am so much happier because of it.
Check out Hunter Flynn's song "East Kentucky Dream" that appears on his Appalachian Soul EP.
