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Eighty-eight year old iconic American roots and country musician Mac Wiseman is far from slowing down this year as he is set to not only release a new record, but will also be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The new album, entitled Songs From My Mother’s Hand, is the result of Wiseman working with producers Peter Cooper and Tomm Jutz on a selection of songs from a list Wiseman’s mother put down in a composition notebook. While he was growing up in Virginia, Wiseman’s mother would listen to the radio and write down artists’ names and the lyrics to the songs they performed. As a child, these songs and artists he heard on the radio formed the foundation of his music career, and therefore helped to shape contemporary bluegrass music.
Wiseman has released over fifty albums in the span of his seventy-year career, adding to his legendary status in bluegrass, country, folk, and roots music. Songs From My Mother’s Hand, however, holds a special place in Wiseman’s heart. “Her notebook was the beginning of my life,” he said in a statement. “I’d sit at the old kitchen table with a kerosene light and read, go from one page to the next.” The revisited songs will feature Jimmy Capps (the Grand Ole Opry guitarist), Thomm Jutz (who has worked with Nanci Griffith, Marty Stuart, and Bobby Bare), new-to-the-scene bluegrass singer Sierra Hull, and Mark Fain (a bassist who has won multiple Grammy Awards). Wrinkled Records will release Songs From My Mother’s Hand on Tuesday, September 23rd, but MusicTimes is hosting a contest to win an early free copy, from now until Friday, September 18th, closing entry officially at 11:59 p.m. ET.
You can follow @TheMusicTimes on Twitter and #MightyMacMT with your answer to one of the following three questions:
1. Why do you love Mac Wiseman?
2. What is your favorite Mac Wiseman song or lyric?
3. What is your favorite memory of listening to Mac Wiseman?
After the close of the contest, winners will be drawn randomly from all eligible entries, which are given to an independent judging agency. Likelihood of winning depends on the number of eligible entries total. Find specific details about the contest, as well as an album preview, on MusicTimes.