A monument honoring Lester Flatt located outside of the courthouse in downtown SpartaDon’t tell people in Sparta, Tenn., that you’ve never heard of Lester Flatt. They’ll just shake their heads.
Then they’ll embark on a history lesson. Flatt, one of the granddaddies of bluegrass, called Sparta his home. He is buried in this city, on the eastern edge of the Highland Rim.
White County also has been home to several other bluegrass legends. You might find them and other fiddlers playing in the informal jam sessions held around town or on the third Friday of every month at the ampitheater.
If you see them, make sure to say “Yert.” That’s the Spartan word for hello.
— Compiled by staff writer Joan Garrett