Since age 12, Stuart has been on the road, first playing mandolin with gospel act the Sullivans, and then touring with Lester Flatt's band, leaving his birthplace of Philadelphia, Mississippi, far behind. A tenure in Johnny Cash's band, followed by a half-dozen successful solo albums, where he spread the word of "hillbilly rock" across the land, has kept Stuart from spending much time in his hometown. About 150 miles south of the Mississippi Delta, which gave birth to the blues, Philadelphia is situated 35 miles north of Meridian, where Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, was born. Clearly, both genres have been imprinted on Stuart.