5th Annual Mike Steed Roots Music Celebration Concert 

Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs is a pioneer of American roots music whose illustrious six-decade career spans from childhood prodigy to Country Music Hall of Famer. Praised by Chet Atkins for "single-handedly saving country music," Skaggs dominated the 1980s country charts with twelve number-one hits before returning to his bluegrass foundations to spark a massive roots music revival. As a National Medal of Arts recipient, he continues to innovate while preserving the genre's rich legacy through his independent label and visionary performances.

Alongside his world-class, eight-time IBMA award-winning band Kentucky Thunder, Skaggs delivers high-energy concerts renowned for breathtaking technical mastery and soul-stirring harmonies. Featuring an elite lineup of virtuosos—including Russ Carson, Justus Ross, Troy Engle, Gavin Kelso, Mike Rogers, and Billy Contreras—the group maintains an intense touring schedule. Together, they blend traditional bluegrass classics, gospel favorites, and intricate acoustic arrangements that set the global standard for the genre.

The 5th Annual Mike Steed Roots Music Celebration Concert is sponsored by the Michael P. Steed Endowment for the Performing Arts, a designated fund specifically crafted to present shows that meet the artistic and authenticity vision of the late Mike Steed, a dear friend to the entire staff at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts and a wise counselor for us all.