Johnny Cash Final Album

Marty Stuart: Rich sounds anchored by country roots

It was in 1999, Marty Stuart says, that he took the defining turn of his career.

The tradition-minded country star had hit the charts regularly in the early '90s with numbers such as "Hillbilly Rock," whose title largely defined his sound at the time. But by the end of the decade radio had cooled on him, and he wasn't happy with the music he was making.

"I had been out there so long . . . and had a lot of success chasing that three-minute song up and down Music Row," Stuart recalls from his bus in Louisiana, heading to the next stop on a tour that will take him to the Sellersville Theater for two shows Sunday. "I thought, 'The kind of music I'm beginning to make, I feel like I'm making a parody of myself. I need to turn things around.' "

He did just that with The Pilgrim, an ambitious concept album. Stuart had always had the talent, the passion, and the likability, but this time he dug deeper than ever, taking his artistry to a new level while still employing his beloved sounds, from bluegrass to hard-core country and hillbilly rock.

Since then, Stuart, with his band, the Fabulous Superlatives, has continued to make the richest and most rewarding music of his career, on albums such as 2005's Souls' Chapel and last year's Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions , both on his own Superlatone Records. On top of that he has become a TV star, with a popular country music show on the RFD network.

"It was a line-in-the-dirt record," Stuart, 52, says of The Pilgrim. "It pretty much cleared the decks of everything the '90s represented. . . . I honestly think everything we have recorded, performed, and been a part of has absolutely been soul-stirring and rewarding to me. And I'm very proud of it. I can barely listen to most of that stuff I did in the '90s."

It wasn't immediately apparent, however, that The Pilgrim would launch such a renaissance for the Philadelphia, Miss., native who got his start at 13 playing mandolin with bluegrass pioneer Lester Flatt and later backed his onetime father-in-law, Johnny Cash. The album was a commercial flop, as Stuart suspected it would be, "and all the commercial things went away" - he lost his recording contract, his manager, and his publishing deal.

"For a moment it looked like tragedy."

But Stuart persevered with the help of the Fabulous Superlatives - guitarist Kenny Vaughan, drummer Harry Stinson, and bassist Paul Martin.

Country Legend Glen Cambell Announces Final Album In Wake of ...

, The new album will cap Glen Campbell’s brilliant career with one of his most moving and energized works to date; a powerfully emotional song cycle that sees him accompanied by a truly dazzling line-up of songwriters and musicians. The studio material will enjoy the presence of an all-star supporting cast, including Chris Isaak, Brian Setzer, Dick Dale and Billy Corgan. The album, produced by Julian Raymond (who also co-wrote a number of new songs with Campbell) is scheduled for an Aug. 30 release.

Campbell achieved his first major success as a solo artist with “Gentle On My Mind,” which proved a crossover smash upon its 1967 release. He followed it that same year with “By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” marking the first in a string of collaborative hits penned by renowned songwriter Jimmy Webb that also includes such classics as “Wichita Lineman,” and “Galveston.”

As if his musical career weren’t enough, Campbell also drew acclaim as an actor and TV personality and four seasons as host of CBS’ The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour . The highly rated variety show series saw Campbell joined by a spectacular assortment of stars – including John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Ray Charles – while also introducing country music’s greatest artists (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard) to a wide national audience.