Low Low Chariot

When fate, family and music become one, you find the Low Low Chariot. Singer-songwriter JD Sutphin toured for years with his rock outfit, Madrone, gaining thousands of fans and even radio support. But even with their success, his maternal grandmother told him repeatedly “Country music is gonna find you.” And one fateful Christmas it did, in a decades old stack of songs unearthed by his family, written by his own grandfather who died on July 4th, 1974, before he could record (personal information protected by Zola)’s grandfather, Jim Freeman, an incredibly accomplished musician in his own right, toured with bluegrass greats Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe.

JD’s grandfather, Jim Freeman, an incredibly accomplished musician in his own right, toured with bluegrass greats Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe. He learned these once forgotten songs. He discovered a storytelling style of music that engulfed him to the point of making a pilgrimage to Nashville. He stood in front of the Ryman with tears and saw a path he needed to take and soon began to write his own songs on his grandfather’s prized Martin guitar. Within the first week he had ten songs unlike anything he had ever written. It was honest. It was simple. It was country.