Check Out Cathey Stamps’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathey Stamps.

Hi Cathey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m a Nashville native who never learned better than to be in the music business. My love has always been bringing unrecognized talent to people who love great music, particularly when I can help artists network with each other for more opportunities as well. I’ve played percussion with all kinds of incredible artists in a variety of settings, including the long-running Girls with Guitars group.

Some artists I’ve worked with include Mindy Smith, Annie Mosher, Cheley Tackett, Mary Gauthier, Shelly Fairchild, Ashley McBryde, Jonell Mosser, Maura O’Connell, Steff Mahan, Good Night John Boy – too many to list. I kind of backed into producing events and have done everything from booking regular shows for local Nashville venues to national and multi-city events. I still love it as much as ever.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Early on I had to make a decision about what kind of career I wanted to have. Many of my friends and colleagues were lead singers/artists who put out a record and hit the road. I figured out early that it didn’t make sense for me to take that route. All these great artists were moving from all around the world to be in Nashville. Why would I want to be out of town and miss all those opportunities? I felt like I could create more of what I wanted to do and achieve by staying here. And of course, there was always the challenge of being a female artist in a male-oriented industry – and a percussionist to boot. I was a first in many playing situations, often where I’d be the only woman in the group.

Most of the time it was fine, but I always knew there was power in women helping each other get those moments to shine without the guys directing how that was going to go down.

In the mid-2000s, I banded together with some other people to create a co-op festival for independent women artists. We played in Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, and Tampa with 2 local acts and 3 other artists on the bill in each city. Ultimately, it was the wrong team of people, but the right concept. I learned a lot that’s definitely informed our current team, helping us be clear about what we wanted to create, why, and how with ArtemisFest. Kelli Boyd, Steff Mahan, and Beth Wilson make up the rest of the core team, and we’ve had some great support from a number of other people to get where we wanted to go with this mission. It’s definitely a whole village making this a reality.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The results I always want from our festival and other events in which I participate are clear and simple. I want to make sure diversity is supported and normalized through including great talent from whoever is making it. That included diversity in race, style, age, sexual orientation, and gender identification. While I’m thrilled to see changes happening with zeitgeist leaders like Leslie Fram, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, Rissi Palmer, Holly G, Maren Morris, and others leading the way in this area, I want to do my part.

I’ve always believed that people at the grassroots level are more open to differences than they’re given credit for and that nothing is more of a uniting force than music. I have a little bit of that hippie thing in my blood where that’s concerned. If people get opportunities to be exposed to new artists in a welcoming environment, have fun, and see what they’re missing, it will become more of the norm. As it should.

ArtemisFest just completed its second year and we’re still riding a wave of goodwill from the 2022 event. Artists and audience members have unanimously given us great reviews on everything from organization and smooth operations to beyond-incredible music and a relaxed vibe – all of which were must-haves in our concept for the fest.

This year’s group of headline performers included Nashville legends and newcomers, artists at all stages of their careers from newbies to legends – all of whom we think deserve a wider audience. We included some unbilled special guests, too. I think the stage burst into flames at least 3 times over the course of the day! The music was hot, the performers were fiery, and we just provided all the accoutrements that allowed them to just do what they do at full tilt.

Next up for me personally are completing a debut record with my band Good Night John Boy, several percussion and writing gigs, and deciding next steps on follow-up events for artists I want to continue to support and champion. Stay tuned!

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
One of my favorite childhood memories is of going to my first studio session at a pretty young age. My mom was a songwriter back when there weren’t a lot of women doing it.

One of her songs was being recorded in Muscle Shoals and she took me along to see it. I loved the cozy, creative feel of the studio, the energy of the musicians laying down their tracks, and the sense of happiness that seem to permeate the process. Obviously, it made an impression on me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artemisfest.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artemisfest/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtemisFest/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/artemisfest
• Other: https://bit.ly/artemisfest2022 TICKETS

Image Credits
Sasha Oswald and Angela Scott