Master Musicians Festival makes Somerset a more musical place
By Christopher Harris
Lexington and Louisville have their share, but when it comes to outdoor music festivals in Kentucky, Somerset’ s Master Musicians Festival can play with anybody.
Now in its 32nd year, the awardwinning Master Musicians Festival, or MMF, returns Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, 2025, once again on the sylvan grounds of Festival Field behind Somerset Community College.
And as the festival’ s reputation in the region continues to grow and develop, thanks in large part to the efforts of executive director Tiffany Finley and the all-volunteer MMF board, this year’ s festival looks to draw as strong a crowd as ever.
“ It’ s been a great reaction,” said Finley of the public feedback to this year’ s line-up.“ Lots of positive reviews, lots of excitement. It seems like a lot of people who have never been to the festival before, even in our own community, are very excited about it and coming for the first time.”
Ten-time Grammy nominee Jamey Johnson will be headlining the 2025 Master Musicians Festival. The announcement regarding Johnson, which was made last December, has been a hit with the festival’ s fans.
“ I wasn’ t surprised( by that) but I’ m happy,” said Finley, who noted that based on ticket sales entering the summer,“ we are definitely on track to have a record-breaking crowd.”
Singer-songwriter Johnson— whose new album, Midnight Gasoline, marks his first solo studio album in 14 years— is one of only two people in the history of country music to win two“ Song of the Year” awards in the same year, for“ Give It Away” and“ In Color” from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. Johnson’ s songs have been recorded by the likes of George Strait, Trace Adkins, and MMF alum Willie Nelson, among others, and the Grand Ole
Opry counts Johnson as a member.“ It’ s somebody that... we’ ve talked about getting for years, and it just seemed with his new album coming out, it was perfect timing,” said Finley.“... He’ s just a traditional country guy. He wrote one of George Strait’ s bigger hits,‘ Give It Away.’ He has his own songs that are very popular....‘ In Color’ has 200-andsomething million streams, which is crazy. He definitely appeals to that( market that’ s) not pop country, it’ s more of what I would call‘ outlaw country.’ He’ s been around for a long time.”
Johnson will be joined in Somerset by another icon of country music— The Kentucky Headhunters. The group, founded in Edmonton, Kentucky in 1968, and known particularly for their hit“ Dumas Walker” among many others, will be honored as this year’ s MMF Masters, and will perform on Saturday, July 12, just before Johnson takes the stage.
12 Stay & Play Lake Cumberland Region- Summer 2025