Cleveland County holds a profound legacy as a core region for bluegrass music. This heritage is anchored by native son Earl Scruggs, the banjo pioneer who developed the iconic “Scruggs style” three-finger picking that became a cornerstone of the genre. But long before Earl was born, there was music being played and celebrated all around the county. From church organists playing hymns to family and community gatherings where banjos, mandolins, and violins were played, music was valued and cherished as a unifying component of county life.
The early days of the county coincide with the Romantic Period, spanning from around 1820 to 1910. This era contains some of the most beloved music from the classical music tradition. Artists such as Stephen Foster and Daniel Decatur Emmet began their careers in the 1840s. Foster is considered America’s first full-time professional songwriter. Two of his most famous songs were “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races”
Daniel Emmett is best known for popular minstrel songs like “Old Dan Tucker” and “My Old Aunt Sally.” Here Doc Watson (1923-2012) covers “Old Dan Tucker:”
After the turn of the 20th century, Cleveland County hosted Chautauqua events. Chautauqua was an adult educational program originally established in 1874 to train Sunday school teachers. The program soon expanded its objective to include classes, lectures, and musical programs. By the turn of the 20th century, these events had spread to many parts of the nation where, for a week or so in the summer, benches and large tents were erected for afternoon and evening programs. In 1915, Kings Mountain was the site for the Radcliffe Chautauqua.
The Lyric Theatre
The Lyric Theatre operated in the 1920s and early 1930s in the space that is now Newgrass Brewery.
Brackett’s Cedar Park
Brackett’s Cedar Park was a beloved community gathering place in upper Cleveland County with a history that dates back to the park’s establishment in 1921. It was known for providing the community with a steady stream of fun events and happy memories for nearly a century. The park’s early days featured a small zoo, a dance pavilion, and a bandstand. Over the years, the park underwent several renovations, including repairs to a historic train, the addition of walking trails, a gazebo, and a large events building.
A devastating fire in December 2019 resulted in the death of Joan Rascom, widow of former owner Don Roscam. Although the fire destroyed the park’s main event space, its legacy of community connection continues to be remembered.
More photos are shared on a Facebook page dedicated to the memory of the park: Brackett Cedar Park Memories.
Crossroads Music Park
A very popular music venue was the Crossroads Music Park located at the SW corner of Oak Grove Road and Stoney Point Road between Shelby and Kings Mountain. It was operated by Tom and Elaine Brooks from 1971 to 1980. Some of the most notable performances included Doc and Eddie Merle Watson, Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Jeanie C. Riley, Conway Twitty, and Jimmy Dean. See more history and memorabilia here. (Many thanks to Alexis Fowler for gathering these photos.)
Olde Tyme Courtsquare Opry at Leatherwood’s Trading Company
Housed in the rear section of Leatherwood Trading Company in uptown Shelby was a local bluegrass venue known as the “Opry.” The front section of the building at 101-103 West Warren Street in Shelby (now Dragonfly Winery*) was a comic book store with other collectibles, music, instruments, and a game room. The little stage in the corner of the back of the comic book store would come alive every Saturday night from about 1995 through 2008.
Steve Leatherwood remembers, “Often time, on Saturday nights, local musicians would gather in the front section and have impromptu ‘picking sessions’ and would also gather on the sidewalk outside the front of the building on nights when the weather permitted.“
Over its 12-year period of operation it was the location for over 600 bluegrass shows by some amazing artists from all over the country and world.
More information and photos are on the Leatherwood Trading Company website.
*Dragonfly Wine Market at 201 West Warren Street in Shelby has a small area in its store that has become a very popular place to hear live music. Owners Jamie and Jane Coulter have been operating there since the fall of 2012.
The Bluegrass Inn II
Musician/Owner J. Max McKee operated the Bluegrass Inn II on South Lafayette Street in Shelby for a number of years. (The “II” is a nod to a very popular bluegrass inn in Nashville, TN.)
Max McKee and wife Teena, are well know in the world of bluegrass and gospel music and have won numerous awards and recognition for their work.
Don Gibson Theatre
The Don Gibson Theater at 318 S. Washington Street in Shelby is located in the former State Theater building. Planning for a new venue named after local musician Don Gibson began in the early 2000s by Destination Cleveland County. Construction began in 2008; the theater officially opened in November 2009. It has enjoyed great success, hosting bands, singers, and songwriters such as Loretta Lynn, Marianne Faithfull, Leon Russell, Bela Fleck, Steele Drivers, Black Lilies, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, The Kruger Brothers, and Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, and many, many more.
The Bobby Bell Pavilion
In 2015, the City of Shelby built a city pavilion to serve as the home of the Foothills Farmer’s Market and events venue. The venue was officially renamed the Bobby Bell Pavilion on August 28, 2021, during a “Bobby Bell Day” celebration in Shelby. The Shelby Alive Summer Concert series, once held on Washington Street as a block party, has found a permanent covered venue in the Bobby Bell Pavilion.
Today, from having buskers on the streets of Shelby to regular events around the county, Cleveland County continues to foster a vibrant musical tradition that remains central to the area’s cultural identity.
Although not inside the boundary of Cleveland County, two music venues in Rutherford County attracted a multitude of music lovers from here. Many are sure to remember events at Green Acres and the Golden Valley Music Park, “back in the day.”
Cleveland County History 