Artist Spotlight :
Joe LaMay & Sherri Reese
By Christopher Harris
Those of a certain age will remember the era of the coffeehouse . Think less Starbucks , more Peter , Paul and Mary .
In the 1950s and ‘ 60s , folk music gained a foothold in the American popular consciousness by playing in coffeehouses — small clubs where one could sip the beverage in an intimate setting while listening to performers share their songs on stage .
It ’ s a setting tied to the music that Joe LaMay and Sherri Reese love , and continue to propagate throughout the community . Transplants from the state of New York , LaMay and Reese ( as their act is known ) have made Somerset home , but have planted the seeds of the coffeehouse culture here and watched them grow over time with their regular event , 3rd Friday Folk .
“ I grew up listening to Buddy Holly , The Everly Brothers , The Beach Boys , and
40 • SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky September 2022