‘The Sound of Small Town America’ coming to Sparta

Sparta will be hosting an amazing line-up of talent during “The Sound of Small Town America,” on July 27, at Sparta Amphitheater, beginning at 7 p.m.

David England, whose musical roots have long been firmly planted in his hometown of Sparta, recently participated in an event at the Grand Ole Opry. The rest of the story started falling into place when his friend, Steve Bridgmon, who hosts the new TV show “The Sound of Small Town America,” contacted England about putting together a showcase of talent for an event in Sparta. Although this event will not be filmed as part of the TV series, there are plans for future music productions in Sparta.

“In fact, when I reached out to David [I said] that you need to be doing this,” Bridgmon said about the show. “It’s called ‘The Sound of Small Town America,’ and we’ve filmed all of the first season. We did our finale at the Grand Ole Opry, back on May 28th. David was one of our finalists, and he performed in the circle.”

The “circle” to which Bridgmon refers is a part of the history of the Grand Ole Opry, harkening back to days at the Ryman Auditorium, 1943-1974. When the new Opry location was built, an eight-foot square of wood was cut from a portion of the Ryman stage before it was carved into a perfect six-foot circle that still remains intact.

Bridgmon continued the conversation, stating he is a member of the advisory board for the Inspirational Country Music Association. He is also a recording artist.

“I went to David’s church years ago when I had my first number one [song],” Bridgmon said. “And then we did something at the Coffee Collective.”

England said he has been performing since he was approximately 8 years old.

“I’ve had country bands. I’ve had gospel groups. You’ve done all these things, but you know, for someone from this area to just have an opportunity to potentially stand in the circle at the Grand Old Opry or be on a television show [is humbling],” England said.

England said Sparta has a rich music history, and he wants to build some excitement around that heritage so other people will want to visit and see what his hometown has to offer.

“Just let people know, ‘Hey, we’re here. We’ve got a vibrant music scene. We’ve got a vibrant art scene,’” England said.

Inspiration County Music Association is a non-profit organization committed to deepening the impact of Christian Country Music and its creators through Support, Outreach, Advancement, and Recognition (S.O.A.R)