December 18, 2006 — In January, Kathy Mattea will begin work on an album of coal-mining songs — a subject that's close to her heart, since she comes from a coal-mining family.
"Both my grandfathers were coal miners, and one of them helped organize the UMW," Kathy tells the Kingsport Times-News. "My mom worked at the UMW. There's a lot of history in my family. So it feels like a good time in my life to go back to that."
Marty Stuart will produce the project. "He's got the chops, he's got the pedigree and he understands the music," Kathy says. "I love Marty, and we've always gotten along really well. It's a good chance to collaborate and have a lot of fun."
Kathy's newest song, "The Slender Thread That Binds Us," was written after the Sago Mine disaster. She performed the song on "Larry King Live" during a special broadcast that honored the 12 victims.
Get Social With GAC
Message Boards
Join the conversation about your favorite artists.
Fan Photo Galleries
Share your photos with country music fans.
Superfan
Watch GAC. Earn points. Get cool prizes.
Blog
Stay up-to-date with all of our daily country news.
facebook
Become a fan on Facebook.
twitter
Follow us on Twitter.
YouTube
Watch our videos on our YouTube channel.