IF YOU GOWhat: Cousin Jake Memorial Bluegrass Festival.When: noon-10 p.m. Saturday.Where: Gem Theater, 700 Tennessee Ave., Etowah, Tenn.Admission: $15.Phone: 423-263-7608.Website: www.etowaharts.org.
Residents of Etowah, Tenn., will celebrate the legacy of a native son and bluegrass pioneer Saturday at the Gem Theater.
The Cousin Jake Memorial Bluegrass Festival, now in its 18th year, honors the late Jake Tullock. The "all-day, down-home bluegrass festival" held in his honor will feature performances by Kenny & Amanda Smith, Farm Hands Quartet and guitarist Jim Hurst, along with local bands Just Us and Reliance.
Tullock began his professional music career on the old "Cas Walker" and "Mid-day Merry Go Round" radio shows in Knoxville. He eventually joined Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs as a bass player and comic, performing with the seminal duo for 20 years. After his retirement from Flatt & Scruggs, Tullock returned home to Etowah, where he continued to perform until his death.