Kentucky Shine

The Bluegrass Hall of Fame in Owensboro, Kentucky is, of course, devoted to the heritage, history, and future of bluegrass music.   In terms of the future, it’s also proven to be an incubator that provides showcases for promising local talent.  “Everybody talks about the beginnings and Bill Monroe and Rosine,” says Steven Stewart, founding member and fiddle player for the Owensboro-based band Kentucky Shine. Stewart is referring to Bill Monroe’s birthplace and bluegrass’s spiritual shrine, just 30 or so miles down the road. “But in the last 15 or 20 years Owensboro has sort of become the central hub in this region, and the Hall of Fame has been a big part of that,” he adds. “They host weekend jams and they bring the bluegrass legends in for concerts.” Stewart, whose band has garnered considerable favorable attention and increased exposure with its 2023 album release, Night Watch, knows of what he speaks. At least part of Kentucky Shine’s rising profile