Photography by Stevens Media Services
STAFFORDSVILLE, KY – On Friday, May 31st, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. US 23 Country Music Highway Museum was the site of a recording label signing with Adalyn Ramey and Nashville, TN-based Dreamland Entertainment Group. Adalyn Ramey is an award-winning 12-year-old singer/songwriter from Paintsville, KY. Known as “The Young Appalachian Storyteller", her original songs capture the heart and soul of the people of Appalachia. With original songs about home, life and faith Adalyn has a passion for making music and sharing her stories with the world. Her original music has received airplay on radio stations around the world and she has had seven different singles appear regularly on Top 20 bluegrass and gospel music charts in the last year. She is nominated for upcoming The Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the Bluegrass and Christian/Gospel Song categories for her original songs “Lonesome Wind” and “Come See What God Can Do”. She was nominated for four awards at The 2024 Appalachian Arts and Entertainment Awards (APPYs) and also has two nominations for The Hollywood Independent Music Awards being held on July 18, 2024 at Hollywood's historic Avalon Theater and three nominations for The 10th Annual Josie Music Awards at The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on October 27, 2024.
Even at a young age, Adalyn keeps a full schedule, performing at many renowned music festivals throughout Kentucky and Virginia.
Eastern Kentucky continues to birth fresh talent in the world of country music and the subject of the most recent musical success story may be the youngest to ever come from Johnson County.
“Thank you guys so much for being here on my special day,” Ramey said, before performing two of her original songs — the first of which was written to celebrate life in a small town and another celebrating the musical heritage of U.S. 23. “There’s a lot of songs about ‘the big city’s calling my name,’ and it talks about how most people go to New York or L.A. or Nashville to get famous, but this song is about how a small town is special in its own way.”
Dreamland Entertainment Vice President of Strategic and Business Development Renee Collins Cobb, as well as Executive Vice President of Artists and Repertoire for Dreamland Warren Cobb, singer/songwriter/musician, owner of Listen Locally, LLC, and prolific talent finder. Collins Cobb offered a welcome for everyone present at the signing.
“I’m so glad that you all made a decision to be here this afternoon, on this beautiful day, to witness history being made,” Collins Cobb said. “There’s a lot of history going on outside of these walls, but we’re going to make some history here today."
“I just wanted to say a few words about Adalyn today, before we begin,” Collins Cobb continued. “(She) is an award-winning, 12-year-old singer-songwriter from Paintsville, Kentucky. Known as the young Appalachian storyteller, her original songs capture the heart and soul of people in Appalachia. Adalyn has a passion for making music and sharing her stories with the world. Her original music has received airplay on radio stations around the world and she’s had seven different singles appear regularly on the Top 20 Bluegrass and Gospel charts in just the last year.”
“It’s just amazing, for me, that this happened at this age. Ever since I was tiny, I said I wanted to be famous by the time I was 14 years old … It’s a goal of mine that I’ve always had,” Ramey said.
Ramey’s father, Phillip, said he believes her evolution into a singer-songwriter felt natural due to her heritage and her Appalachian roots, but he gave all of the credit to Adalyn’s work ethic and determination.
“I think it just runs deep in the people of this area. Anybody that’s ever even played music as a hobby, it’s just something that’s woven into people of this area,” Phillip said. “That wasn’t the biggest factor, I think that she’s a very determined kid, a hard-working kid. She’s a good kid, and kind of an old soul. She’s a pretty cool kid, too. The answer to that question, I think, is that when you have a passion to do something, that kind of goes a long way and she definitely has that passion.”
Dreamland CEO, Founder and Producer Jonathan Goodwin spoke at the event, talking about his roots in Powell County and how he gravitates toward Eastern Kentucky artists, sharing a story about a time when he was working as an engineer and met someone named Taylor Swift — who he said Ramey could be compared to.
“It was 2004, I began working in Nashville as an engineer, rolling cords for some of the best producers in town … A friend of mine called and said, ‘Producing a girl downtown, they’ve double-booked the session, can we use your studio for this,’ and nobody knew who she was and she’d just moved to town. She was 14-years-old and wrote her own songs, that girl was Taylor Swift. She ended up coming to our studio and doing that first record with us, which ended up going five times Platinum,” Goodwin said.
“At the time she just came with guitar, there were no session players … I say that in comparison to what Adalyn is doing, because I know people are paying attention to what she’s doing now, but in the years to come, especially with the record we’re going to help her create and put out, I think you’re going to be amazed at what this girl can accomplish."
“We love Adalyn at Dreamland and we were so glad to meet her,” Goodwin said. “What you can expect in the next year is a brand new project from Adalyn, something you can compare to maybe the early days of Alison Krauss, some of these bluegrass, acoustic, Americana sounds. We’re going to let her kind of create her own sound. We’re not going to dictate that, we’re going to give her complete control and complete creative freedom in the studio and what we want to do is cultivate what she’s already doing … We want to take her to the big leagues because we believe she deserves that.”
According to Goodwin, some of the same pickers who played on Alison Krauss albums will be taking part in the production and the future is bright for Ramey.
Photography by Bill French
“It’s going to be the best stuff you’ve heard from this area for a long time,” Goodwin said. “Be watching for Adalyn’s new music. It’s going to be out soon and Dreamland’s just excited to be a part of it.”
Background
Dreamland Entertainment Group is an award-winning full service creative organization possessing extensive expertise in the worldwide music and film industry that specializes in working with creators to further heighten their art. Dreamland Entertainment Group, led by Producer/ CEO and Grammy Recording Academy Member Jonathan Goodwin, provides and designs services for Luxe artist management & development, concert promotion, elite publishing, performance coaching, film & visual mastery and a globally recognized record label.
Goodwin adds “we are meeting artists, like Adalyn Ramey, where they are -both personally and professionally- and who share common values of hard work, results orientation, drive, dedication, and passion integrated into- or in all that they do - everything they do. Dreamland Entertainment Group believes that talent can come from any place, background, culture, generation, or level of experience. While we promote the creation and monetization for entertainers, the core mission of Dreamland Entertainment Group will be to “Work in Concert” in connecting artists and creatives with their audience, venues, sponsors, broadcasters, and buyers (consumers) of their merchandise.”
We would like to thank US 23 Country Music Highway Museum for hosting this event and showcasing the music and the signing of Painstville, KY's Adalyn Ramey to Dreamland Entertainment Group. We also thank all media groups and broadcasters who contributed to this amazing story including Paintsville Herald, Stevens Media Services, WYMT- TV, Lawrence County Tourism Commission - Kentucky, The Mountain Arts Center, Appalachian News Express, Mountain Top News, Radiolex, WSAZ, Appalachian News Express, The Big Sandy News, and New Country 98.9 WSIP.
Renee Collins Cobb, M.Ed. and Warren Cobb are Executive Producers of Overtones LIVE and Co-Owners of Listen Locally, LLC, as well as Executive Directors and Founders of Room 17 Productions, a non-profit 501c3 organization. We are also partners in Dreamland Entertainment Group and The Scribe TV Network.
Comments