Today, Marty Stuart is a legend in the world of country music. From his work with bluegrass greats like Flat and Scruggs to his time in Johnny Cash’s road band to his current position as the bandleader of the Fabulous Superlatives, he has proven himself to be a master of the genre for decades. A recently unearthed childhood essay proves that he’s been working toward his current position for longer than most fans could imagine.
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Many fans know about Stuart’s dream of marrying country singer Connie Smith. When he was just a teenage boy, he decided that someday he would watch Smith walk down the aisle to say “I do.” In July 1997, that dream came true. He also dreamed of leading a sharp-dressed popular band and making country music that fans the world over would enjoy. That dream has been coming true for decades.
Marty Stuart’s Childhood Essay
Recently, Marty Stuart added his collection of country music artifacts to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. During a ceremony celebrating the merging of the two collections, CMHoF CEO Kyle Young read an essay Stuart wrote in sixth grade. That essay was titled “What I Would Like to Be in Life”
“I’d like to share just a few passages to give you some idea of the scope of Marty’s ambitions back around 1970,” Young began. “I would like to be a great musician and to tour the use and Vietnam. If there’s a war going on, I would like to put on a performance for our soldiers,” Stuart wrote decades ago. “I would like to have a band that the world really likes. I want my band to be popular by their looks. I’m going to have my band dressed in nice clothes and let them keep their haircut,” he continued.
“Presumably, their long haircut,” Young joked as the gathered crowd laughed. Then, he went back to quoting Stuart’s essay. “Maybe I can record many records that would top the market. I would like to write and compose many popular songs for other people and myself. I’m going to play a Fender guitar and I hope that the instrument that each of my band members likes the best, maybe that company will sponsor them with the model he wants.”
Stuart ended his essay by saying, “A musician is what I’ve been wanting to be. That is my true goal for life and I hope to accomplish this goal and do it well because music will be my love forever.”
More than a country legend with massive respect for the genre, Stuart is proof that dreams do come true.
Featured Image by Christopher Victorio/Shutterstock
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