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Key Information

Jay Ketcham Miller Secor (born May 14, 1978), known as Ketch Secor, is an American musician and a co-founder and current frontman for the band Old Crow Medicine Show. He is the only member of the band who has remained since its inception. Secor is a multi-instrumentalist, playing fiddle, banjo, harmonica, guitar and other instruments, and is known for infusing old-time Americana and Appalachian music with more modern punk influences.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Secor was born in Denville Township, New Jersey,[2] to Trina and James Jay Secor III,[3] an Episcopal school headmaster. He grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Earlier generations of the Secor family had achieved success in banking and business in Toledo, Ohio, but lost much of their fortune in the stock market crash of 1929.[4]

Secor attended New Hampshire's prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy, where he learned to play banjo and discovered the music of Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan. His first musical instrument was a mouth harp purchased on a field trip when he was in the fourth grade.[5] In the seventh grade, Secor met future bandmate Christopher "Critter" Fuqua. Secor and Fuqua began playing music together, performing open mics at the Little Grill diner in Harrisonburg, where they met Robert St. Ours, founder of The Hackensaw Boys. Secor and St. Ours joined to form the Route 11 Boys.[6]

Old Crow Medicine Show

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Main article: Old Crow Medicine Show
Secor performs with Molly Tuttle and early members of Old Crow Medicine Show at Ryman Auditorium New Year's Eve 2023.

While traveling and busking with Fuqua, Secor met Old Crow Medicine Show co-founder Willie Watson in upstate New York. He met Kevin Hayes in Maine, where he worked raking blueberries.[4] The newly formed group decided to call themselves "Old Crow Medicine Show" in honor of the traveling variety shows, or medicine shows, that roamed the American West in the 1800s. In 1998, the group recorded a 10-song album called Trans:mission and went on their first tour in October 1998, performing across Canada.[7]

In 1999, Secor and his bandmates moved to Boone, North Carolina and settled in a rural barn with no running water, where they worked on their music (and learned to make corn whiskey). In 2000, the group were busking outside Boone Drug downtown on King Street when the daughter of folk-country legend Doc Watson heard them playing, and brought her father back to hear them. Doc invited them to play in his annual MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.[8] The gig proved to be a big break for the band, resulting in an invitation to play at the Grand Ole Opry where they met and were mentored by Marty Stuart, and got the opportunity to open for Dolly Parton at the Ryman Auditorium.[9]

"Wagon Wheel"

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Secor is known for co-writing Old Crow Medicine Show's biggest hit and signature song, "Wagon Wheel", which started as a short snippet recorded by Bob Dylan in 1973 called "Rock Me, Mama". It was extended by Secor to include new verses about feeling homesick for the south and hitchhiking his way home.[4] Years later he and Dylan signed a co-writing agreement, agreeing to a 50–50 split in authorship. The final version of the song was released on their second album O.C.M.S. (2004), and was certified Gold in 2011 and Platinum in 2013 by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song has been covered many times, notably by Nathan Carter in 2012 and Darius Rucker in 2013, whose version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[4]

Touring

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Secor joined the Railroad Revival Tour as part of Mumford & Sons and Friends in August 2025, appearing with Celisse, Lucius, Nathaniel Rateliff, Trombone Shorty, and others performing in New Orleans, Simpsonville SC, Richmond VA, and Burlington VT.[10]

Solo album

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Released on July 11, 2025, Story the Crow Told Me was recorded at Hartland Studios. All its songs were written by Ketch Secor and Jody Stevens, who co-engineered. Secor sang and played fiddle, banjo, harmonica, bass, organ and spoons on the album. Critter Fuqua sat in on drums, adding harmony vocals with Molly Tuttle, Willie Watson, and Morgan Jahnig, who played double-bass. Marty Stuart added mandolin and guest vocals, Jaren Johnston & the Cadillac Three brought slide guitar and harmony vocals, and Eddy Dunlap played pedal steel and sang harmony. Jody Stevens performed on electric guitar, banjo, acoustic guitar and percussion.[11]

Secor’s fiddle opened the album in “Busker’s Spell”, the first part of a "triptych" with “Talkin’ Doc Blues” and “Ghost Train” which related early Old Crow Medicine Show history. The songs tell of Secor and the band busking across Appalachia, Doc Watson discovering them in North Carolina, and their resulting move to Nashville.[12] "Dickerson Road" portrayed the area of Nashville where Secor and members of the group resided when they first came to town. As Secor said, “I think Dickerson Road represents an interesting story in the South’s saga of redistricting and urban renewal, because this corridor hung on and became a kind of testing ground for who can make it. It’s kind of a sink-or-swim strip.”[13] "What Nashville Was" was Secor's tribute to the legends who drew him to Nashville as a teen, most particular Bob Dylan who was there in the late 1960s. Secor added commentary to Dylan’s "Girl From The North Country", layering in extracts of Dylan and Johnny Cash singing together from the “Nashville Skyline” period.[14]

The official video for “What Nashville Was” featured Molly Tuttle and a sample of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash singing “Girl From The North Country”.[10] At a gala edition of the Grand Ole Opry honoring the 100th year of WSM-AM, "Nashville’s iconic country music broadcaster", Secor played “Old Man River”, a song cycle from his solo album about his journey to and through Nashville and country music with Old Crow Medicine Show.[15]

Publisher

[edit]

In May 2024 it was announced Secor had signed a "global publishing administration deal" with Sony Music Publishing Nashville.[16] CEO Rusty Gaston said of the arrangement:

Ketch Secor is more than a ‘fiddler in an old-time string band’, he’s a brilliant storyteller. He writes songs that tell the tales of the rural American spirit.  A one-of-a-kind talent and a one-of-a-kind human, we couldn’t be prouder to welcome Ketch to the SMP Nashville family.

Causes

[edit]

In his self-described role as an "ambassador of country music",[17] Secor debuted as the new host of for the 39th season of Tennessee Crossroads, "the long-running travel and culture series", September 4, 2025 on Nashville PBS (WNPT) and the PBS app.[18] Secor appeared on three episodes of the Ken Burns documentary mini-series Country Music (2019),[19] serving as "an advisor, historical consultant, and featured speaker" for the project.[20] He also appeared in the live concert special Country Music: Live at the Ryman (2019).[21] In March 2019 he gave a Ted Talk entitled "Country Music is a Cabbie from Sudan" through TEDxNashville.[22] In 2018, he published Lorraine: The Girl Who Sang the Storm Away with illustrator Higgins Bond, a children's book inspired by Appalachian folktales about a young African-American girl and her grandfather who weather a storm with the help of music.[23][24][25]

In the aftermath of the March 27, 2023 mass shooting at The Covenant School, a Presbyterian elementary school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, which left three children and three adults dead, Secor became what the Rolling Stone magazine described as "a staunch advocate for gun reform."[26] As a gun owner, prominent in the field of country music, this surprised even him. Secor explained: “I didn’t think that’d be a cause for me… But when the shooting happens in your town, it’s different.” He began "lobbying for gun reform, including red flag laws and a ban on assault weapons". He also produced and released in 2023 a "music film" entitled Louder Than Guns, about gun violence[27] which had its world premiere at the 33rd annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in Hot Springs, Arkansas on October 22, 2024.[28]

Secor and his then-wife Lydia Peelle founded the Episcopal School of Nashville in 2016, where he served as Board Chair, Emeritus.[25][29] He said of the origins of the school:[30]

15 years ago, I began to envision a beautiful little school, filled with kids from all the diverse backgrounds. It would be a community school with a focus on service learning and bring families together from across Nashville to share in building a place for kids unlike any other in our city. It was a vibrant dream, and I couldn’t shake it. I decided that the dream was such a plausible one that maybe, just maybe, it could even come true.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ketch Secor.

Secor appeared as one of four special performances from the Nashville PBS studios, with Kathy Mattea, Sierra Hull, and Molly Tuttle, on a PBS SoCal three-hour telethon on Saturday, November 8, 2025, It was designed to help to fill the funding gap "created by the loss of our federal funding", said PBS SoCal’s Executive Producer for the Telethon, Maura Daly Phinney. The We ❤ Public Television aired nationwide on Thanksgiving night with a celebrity line-up that included: Josh Groban, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ken Burns, Ziggy Marley, Lily Tomlin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Marlee Matlin, Sarah Silverman, and others. The telethon is available on the free PBS App from November 27-December 24, 2025.[31]

Personal life

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Secor moved to Ithaca, New York, at age 19 to attend Ithaca College, while his girlfriend, Lydia Peelle, attended Cornell University. The couple married in 2001, in North Andover, Massachusetts[32] and had two children, a daughter and a son,[33] before divorcing in 2018.[34][35]

Secor frequently collaborates and writes music with American bluegrass guitarist Molly Tuttle, who occasionally tours and appears with Old Crow Medicine Show. In early 2023, it was reported that Secor and Tuttle were in a romantic relationship,[36] becoming engaged on December 3, 2025.[37][38]

Secor endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.[39]

References

[edit]
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Ketch Secor

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Jay Ketcham "Ketch" Secor (born May 13, 1978) is an American musician, , and best known as the co-founder and frontman of , a Grammy-winning Americana that revived old-time folk and mountain music traditions with high-energy performances. Secor co-formed the band in 1998 while attending , alongside childhood friend Critter Fuqua, and gained early recognition after being discovered by folk legend , leading to appearances at events like . The group's breakthrough came with the 2004 release of the song "Wagon Wheel," co-written by Secor and sharing copyright with , which achieved double-platinum status and topped charts in a 2013 cover by . Old Crow Medicine Show's accolades include two —for Best Folk Album (Remedy, 2015) and Best Long Form (Big Easy Express, 2012)—as well as the Americana Music Association's Trailblazer Award in 2013 and induction into the Grand Ole Opry the same year. Proficient on , , and harmonica, Secor draws from influences like and , blending them into the band's punk-infused revivalist sound. Beyond the band, he released his debut solo album Story the Crow Told Me in 2025, inspired by Nashville storytelling traditions, and has ventured into writing with a children's book (Lorraine) and a musical (Hooten Holler). Secor, a gun owner raised by educator parents and educated at , has also advocated for gun reform following the , releasing the song "Louder Than Guns" and authoring a New York Times urging music's involvement, positions that drew criticism from some in the genre for portraying fans as unwitting participants in cultural debates.

Early Life and Influences

Childhood and Family

Jay Ketcham Miller Secor was born on May 14, 1978, in Denville Township, New Jersey. His parents were educators, with his father serving as a headmaster and vice-principal at private Episcopal schools in the South, which prompted frequent family relocations during Secor's early years. The family moved to New Orleans when Secor was a toddler, following his father's appointment as vice-principal at St. George's Episcopal School, before relocating again after a few years. By the time Secor reached fifth grade, the family had moved five times, eventually settling in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he spent much of his childhood. These shifts reflected the demands of his parents' professional commitments in educational administration rather than any pursuit of musical heritage. At age six, Secor visited , where he attended a performance at the Grand Ole Opry, an experience he later recalled as an early encounter with the city's cultural landmarks. This trip, unconnected to familial musical traditions, marked one of his initial exposures to Southern performance venues amid the family's transient lifestyle.

Initial Exposure to Music

Secor exhibited an early and intense interest in old-time during his childhood in , where he immersed himself in the genre's raw, traditional sounds rooted in Appalachian folk traditions. This obsession, which began in his pre-teen years, centered on the unpolished authenticity of music, driving him to pursue it informally without structured lessons or classical training. His initial foray into playing occurred in , around , when he purchased a mouth harp during a school and incorporated it into a class play performance, marking his first public musical engagement. By , approximately , Secor began collaborating with a schoolmate, "Critter" Fuqua, experimenting with basic in casual settings that foreshadowed his affinity for collaborative, roots-oriented jamming. Lacking formal education, Secor acquired skills through self-directed practice and immersion in local old-time scenes, eschewing methods like training in favor of hands-on replication of traditional tunes via recordings and peer interaction. This approach honed his multi-instrumental versatility—encompassing , , and guitar—while emphasizing the causal interplay of repetition and communal playing over theoretical study, as evidenced by his early proficiency in Appalachian-style fiddling without orchestral or academic scaffolding.

Musical Career with Old Crow Medicine Show

Band Formation and Early Success

Ketch Secor co-founded Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS) in late September 1998 in Boone, North Carolina, alongside Critter Fuqua, whom he had met in seventh grade in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and a group of young old-time string band musicians. The band originated as buskers, performing on street corners in locations including New York state, Canada, Asheville, and Boone, relying on raw energy and traditional Americana instrumentation like fiddle, banjo, and guitar to draw crowds without formal amplification. This nomadic, performance-driven approach reflected the group's commitment to unpolished roots music, honed through impromptu gigs that emphasized showmanship over polished production. In 1999, while busking outside Boone Drug in Boone, the band caught the attention of Nancy Watson, daughter of bluegrass legend , who facilitated their invitation to perform at , Doc Watson's annual festival. This discovery marked a pivotal shift, providing from Watson and exposure within the old-time and bluegrass communities, which propelled OCMS from street performers to a recognized act in the burgeoning Americana scene. The endorsement helped solidify their reputation for authentic, high-energy music, drawing on Appalachian traditions while appealing to festival audiences seeking revivalist sounds. By the early 2000s, OCMS had expanded into a full ensemble and transitioned toward recording, self-producing live material that captured their scrappy aesthetic. Their debut album, O.C.M.S., recorded at RCA Studio B and Studios in Nashville, was released on February 24, 2004, via Nettwerk America, featuring 16 tracks of acoustic folk, , and bluegrass originals and covers performed without overdubs to preserve the raw, communal feel of their busking origins. The release garnered critical notice for its fidelity to pre-commercial Americana, contributing to early festival bookings and a following that highlighted the band's organic ascent outside mainstream industry channels.

"Wagon Wheel" and Commercial Breakthrough

Ketch Secor composed the verses for "Wagon Wheel" in the early 2000s while a student at , building upon a chorus fragment recorded by in 1973 as an outtake during sessions for the film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. The lyrics evoked a hitchhiking journey from to the Carolinas, infused with old-time string band influences that aligned with 's raw, acoustic aesthetic. Secor and Dylan share songwriting credit due to the incorporated chorus, though Secor independently developed the full structure without Dylan's direct involvement. Old Crow Medicine Show began performing the track live in the late 1990s and formally recorded it for their self-titled debut album, O.C.M.S., released on February 24, 2004. The song achieved cult status within folk and Americana circles through live performances and the 2004 but remained a niche favorite until Darius Rucker's cover elevated its profile. Released as the from Rucker's 2013 True Believers, the rendition debuted on in late 2012 and ascended to No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated April 13, 2013, marking Rucker's second chart-topper. This version's crossover appeal—blending production with the song's narrative drive—drove sales exceeding 8 million units by 2020, per data, while generating significant publishing royalties for Secor and as co-writers. The windfall provided financial stability amid the band's earlier struggles, enabling sustained touring and recording post a 2010s lineup flux. "Wagon Wheel"'s commercial surge catalyzed Old Crow Medicine Show's mainstream foothold, culminating in their induction on September 17, 2013, performed by members and . The Opry milestone, tied directly to the song's renewed visibility, affirmed the band's role in bridging traditional folk with contemporary audiences, with live streams and metrics reflecting millions of engagements by mid-decade. Yet, the polished Rucker iteration and subsequent OCMS adaptations prompted critique from bluegrass traditionalists, who contended that amplified production and radio-friendly arrangements eroded the genre's unvarnished ethos, prioritizing market accessibility over acoustic purity. Such views, echoed in genre forums and interviews, highlight a tension between artistic evolution and roots authenticity, though empirical sales data underscore the cover's role in sustaining the original's legacy.

Albums, Tours, and Band Evolution

Medicine Show's Pusher, released in 2008, featured a mix of original songs and traditional covers, self-produced and distributed independently before wider label involvement. The album marked continued exploration of their old-time sound amid growing live circuit popularity. In , the band signed with for Carry Me Back, which debuted at number 21 on the Bluegrass Albums chart and included tracks reflecting historical American themes. The 2014 release Remedy under ATO amplified their reach, propelled by "Wagon Wheel," certified double platinum by the RIAA for over 2 million units sold. Subsequent albums diversified their output: 50 Years of (2017), a full tribute to Bob Dylan's work on Columbia Nashville; Volunteer (2018), blending traditional and innovative Americana; Paint This Town (2022); and Jubilee (2023), both on Columbia, showing refined production while preserving roots influences. Overall band album sales exceed 500,000 units in the United States. The group has sustained extensive touring, including international dates and ongoing North American legs like the 2025 Tour extension through October. Their induction into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013, solidified Nashville ties, with regular performances enhancing visibility. Lineup evolution involved key shifts, including co-founder Critter Fuqua's departure in 2007 after personal challenges, return in 2012, exit again in late 2019 for alcohol treatment and education, and 2024 reinstatement. These adjustments, alongside other member transitions like Willie Watson's 2012 exit, tested stability but preserved core dynamics under Ketch Secor's direction, contributing to two decades of adaptability.

Awards and Industry Recognition

Old Crow Medicine Show, under the leadership of co-founder Ketch Secor, earned the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for their 2014 release Remedy at the on February 8, 2015. The band also secured a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video in 2013, recognizing their contributions to folk and roots documentation. On September 17, 2013, the group was formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry by members and , following an invitation extended by on August 16, 2013, affirming their alignment with country music's foundational institutions. That same year, received the Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Association, acknowledging their innovative fusion of old-time elements with contemporary performance energy. The band's revival of acoustic, fiddle-driven traditions was further highlighted in Ken Burns' 2019 PBS documentary Country Music, where Secor appeared as a key interviewee discussing the genre's evolution and OCMS's role in sustaining Appalachian-influenced sounds amid modern commercialization. These honors reflect OCMS's impact on Americana's resurgence, though their post-2004 "Wagon Wheel" crossover success—spurring major-label deals and arena tours—has drawn purist critiques for prioritizing polished production over unadulterated folk rawness, as lineup shifts and stylistic expansions post-2013 awards suggest adaptation to broader market demands.

Solo Work and Independent Projects

Debut Solo Album "Story the Crow Told Me"

Ketch Secor's debut solo album, Story the Crow Told Me, was released on July 11, 2025, through Equal Housing Records in partnership with Firebird Music. The record serves as an autobiographical reflection on Secor's early career, chronicling his experiences , busking on Nashville streets, and navigating the city's evolving music scene from the early 2000s onward. Described by Secor as a "love letter" to Music City, it draws on personal anecdotes tied to locations like Dickerson Road and themes of youthful ambition amid Nashville's transformation into a global entertainment hub. Unlike the collective, roots-revival energy of Medicine Show's output, the album emphasizes Secor's individual narrative voice through introspective songwriting and stripped-back arrangements, focusing on spoken-like rather than high-energy ensemble performances. Key tracks include the "Dickerson Road," which evokes gritty urban lore, and "What Nashville Was" featuring on vocals, lamenting changes in the city's cultural landscape. Other songs, such as "," trace pivotal choices in Secor's path from street performer to industry figure, blending Appalachian folk influences with modern reflections. The production highlights Secor's and vocal delivery, diverging from band dynamics to prioritize lyrical over jam-band improvisation. Reception has praised the album's candid and historical insight into Nashville's underbelly, with outlets noting its value as a personal chronicle of Americana's grassroots evolution. Some critiques, however, point to occasional self-indulgence in its autobiographical focus, interpreting the inward gaze as potentially limiting broader appeal amid Secor's established band persona. No public sales or streaming figures were reported as of late 2025, though the release aligned with Secor's promotional solo performances emphasizing its ties to his pre-fame Nashville tenure.

Other Collaborations and Performances

Secor has frequently collaborated with bluegrass and Americana artists in guest performances, emphasizing his and vocal contributions in intimate settings. In September 2025, he joined Grammy-nominated guitarist for a set on PBS's at Analog, performing their co-written "Big Backyard," the Dylan-Secor composition "Wagon Wheel," and a cover of Rancid's "Olympia WA." This pairing showcased Secor's integration of old-time string techniques with Tuttle's precision, drawing on shared Appalachian influences to appeal to niche festival audiences. In March 2025, Secor made a surprise guest appearance with the and at The Pinnacle in Nashville, delivering a high-energy version of "Wagon Wheel" to mark the venue's opening. The performance, captured in fan and official footage, highlighted Secor's role in bridging jug-band roots with modern red-dirt country, reinforcing the track's cross-genre endurance since its 2004 OCMS release. These outings, including earlier joint efforts like the 2020 Team Joe Sings benefit with Tuttle, have extended Secor's reach into bluegrass circuits and larger Americana events without relying on OCMS branding. By aligning with artists like Tuttle—who has earned multiple IBMA awards—and troubadour-style acts, Secor has empirically widened his solo profile, evidenced by increased streams and live attendance for collaborative material amid his 2025 touring schedule. In media-tied sessions, Secor contributed to NPR's 2020 Song Project with "Pray for America," a folk-leaning original penned amid national unrest, performed acoustically to evoke historical balladry. Similarly, during promotions for ' 2019 Country Music documentary—where Secor served as consultant—he performed "" at a PBS-affiliated event, tying his playing to archival Appalachian repertoires. Such targeted appearances have solidified his expertise in roots revivalism, fostering credibility among historians and performers alike.

Publishing and Songwriting Ventures

Establishment of Publishing Interests

In May 2024, following the sustained commercial impact of Old Crow Medicine Show's catalog, Ketch Secor entered into a global publishing administration agreement with Nashville, formalizing the management of his songwriting rights and royalties. This arrangement, announced on May 29, covers administrative duties such as royalty collection from mechanical reproductions, public performances, and synchronization opportunities for Secor's compositions, including those derived from the band's hits. Sony's CEO Rusty Gaston highlighted Secor's catalog value, noting its role in generating ongoing revenue streams independent of active band touring or recording. The deal underscores publishing's function in music industry economics, where administration agreements allow creators to retain ownership while outsourcing collection and licensing—critical amid band lineup changes and tour variability that OCMS experienced post-2010s breakthroughs. For Secor, this structure leverages evergreen assets like "Wagon Wheel," whose 2013 Darius Rucker cover achieved multi-platinum certification and billions of streams, providing verifiable passive income through PRO distributions and cover royalties. Industry data indicates such hits can yield songwriter royalties exceeding traditional album sales, with mechanical rates at approximately 9.1 cents per reproduction under U.S. statutory limits, scaled by volume.

Key Songs and Compositions Outside OCMS

Secor has provided songwriting credits to various artists beyond , demonstrating his versatility in crafting folk and bluegrass narratives grounded in everyday experiences and regional authenticity. Among these, "Alice in the Bluegrass," recorded by & Golden Highway, exemplifies his approach to blending personal anecdotes with instrumental drive typical of the genre. Similarly, "Big Backyard" for the same group highlights themes of communal simplicity, prioritizing direct causal depictions of rural leisure over romanticized ideals. Other notable contributions include "All For a Song," written for Canadian musician , which integrates maritime folk influences with Secor's characteristic lyrical economy focused on pursuit and resolve. Additional credits encompass "Castilleja," "Dance With Everybody," "Divine Bell," "Dooley's Farm," and "Down Home Dispensary," each tailored to collaborators' styles while maintaining a commitment to unvarnished storytelling derived from observed realities rather than abstracted emotion. These works, though less commercially prominent than his band output, underscore Secor's role as a publisher and provider of material that sustains traditional forms without overt innovation, as evidenced by their integration into peers' repertoires. Reception of these standalone compositions has been niche, primarily within bluegrass and Americana circles, where they are valued for technical solidity but occasionally critiqued for adhering closely to established tropes without pushing structural boundaries. For instance, Secor's co-writes with Tuttle, who has performed with affiliates, reflect iterative refinement through live testing, yielding functional yet predictable verse-chorus progressions suited to ensemble play. No major chart success or widespread covers have emerged from these efforts as of 2025, aligning with their emphasis on craft over broad appeal.

Media and Broadcasting Involvement

Film and Television Appearances

Ketch Secor featured prominently in the 2019 documentary miniseries , appearing in three episodes as an advisor, historical consultant, and on-screen commentator. In these segments, aired on from September 15 to 29, 2019, Secor discussed the evolution of , including its in diverse cultural influences and the historical exclusion of contributors from mainstream narratives, drawing on empirical examples like the contributions of and the Carter Family's interactions with African American musicians. His input emphasized factual genre history over politicized reinterpretations, critiquing modern industry practices for lacking the organic integration seen in early recordings. Secor's participation in the eight-episode series, which drew over 6 million viewers in its premiere week according to Nielsen ratings, provided scholarly context on traditions and the fiddle's role in bridging Appalachian and styles. He highlighted causal links between geographic migration patterns and musical hybridization, such as the spread of techniques from shows to recordings in the , supported by archival audio evidence featured in the documentary. This exposure elevated Secor's profile as a historian, though some observers noted the series' selective emphasis on certain narratives amid broader debates on source credibility in . Beyond the Burns project, Secor's pre-hosting on-screen contributions were sparse, limited primarily to performative cameos in music-related shorts tied to tracks, such as brief demonstrations in promotional clips for albums like Tennessee Pusher (2016), where he appeared visually syncing to recordings without narrative dialogue. No major fictional film roles or scripted television cameos are documented prior to his broadcasting pivot.

Hosting "Tennessee Crossroads"

In July 2025, Ketch Secor, frontman of the band , was announced as the new host of Tennessee Crossroads, a long-running public television series produced by Nashville PBS (WNPT). The announcement highlighted Secor's background as a Grammy-winning musician and storyteller with deep ties to Tennessee's musical heritage, positioning him to continue the show's focus on local culture, history, and traditions. He succeeded Joe Elmore, who had hosted the program for decades, bringing a fresh perspective rooted in Secor's advocacy for Appalachian and roots music preservation. Secor debuted in the role on September 4, 2025, for the program's 39th season, airing Thursdays at 7 p.m. CDT on Nashville PBS and the PBS app. The format remains a travelogue-style of Tennessee's diverse offerings, including artisanal crafts, culinary spots, historical sites, and natural attractions, such as episodes featuring spelunking in Pelham and dining in Hurricane Mills. Secor's involvement aligns with his longstanding emphasis on authentic regional narratives, as evidenced by his band's catalog of songs drawing from Southern and traditions, potentially infusing the series with musical interludes or elements. The hosting gig occurs amid ongoing congressional debates over federal funding for , with proposals for cuts citing inefficiencies and perceived ideological biases in outlets like , which critics argue prioritize progressive viewpoints over neutral reporting. Secor has framed his role as a defense of public media's value in cultural preservation, arguing it sustains underrepresented local stories that commercial networks overlook, though detractors contend such taxpayer-supported programming risks amplifying institutional left-leaning tendencies observed in mainstream public media outputs. This tension underscores the show's mission to document heritage empirically, prioritizing verifiable regional assets over politicized framing.

Political Commentary and Controversies

Public Statements on Social and Cultural Issues

In April 2023, following the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Secor published an op-ed in arguing that , as a cultural force shaping Southern attitudes toward guns, could lead efforts to reduce obsession with firearms by advocating bans on assault-style rifles and promoting dialogue among gun owners. He positioned country audiences as receptive to such shifts, citing the genre's historical role in mythologizing guns while suggesting artists leverage their influence to foster reform without alienating fans. In a December 2023 interview, Secor reiterated support for gun reform measures, expressing willingness to tour with artists like despite ideological differences on the issue, emphasizing unity in addressing violence over partisan divides. Secor has addressed race in country music's history, serving as a historical consultant and on-screen contributor to Ken Burns' 2019 PBS documentary Country Music, where he highlighted the genre's roots in diverse influences including African American traditions. In a related September 2019 interview with The Boot, he discussed the documentary's portrayal of racial dynamics, expressing optimism that acknowledging shared origins could bridge contemporary divides, stating, "Country music has always been about hope" amid ongoing debates over inclusion. In October 2024, released the single "Donkey & ," co-written by Secor, which calls on listeners to engage in voting as a civic duty amid , framing the and as symbols of division but urging participation beyond strict party lines. The band described the track as a nonpartisan reminder of voters' collective power, released ahead of the U.S. to encourage involvement without endorsing candidates. During the 2020 and ensuing protests over racial injustice following George Floyd's death, Secor penned "Pray for America" for NPR's Song Project, initially composed amid early pandemic uncertainty but later applied to broader social unrest. The lyrics emphasize resilience and communal hope—"Pray for America, she's hurting bad"—while avoiding specific policy prescriptions, focusing instead on emotional in crisis. Secor noted the song's intent to reflect troubled times without prescribing solutions, highlighting music's role in processing events rather than dictating responses.

Criticisms and Responses from Peers and Fans

In April 2023, following the release of Old Crow Medicine Show's song "Louder Than Guns" addressing after the Nashville , Ketch Secor faced criticism from Saving Country Music for allegedly portraying fans as unwitting pawns manipulated by political and religious forces. The critique, responding to Secor's New York Times opinion piece urging the industry to lead an anti-assault-weapons movement, argued that Secor oversimplified fan motivations by framing resistance to advocacy along partisan binaries, such as influence or evangelical , rather than acknowledging fans' independent reasoning on issues like and cultural traditions. This backlash extended to accusations of politicizing Americana and roots genres, particularly amid debates over genre boundaries intensified by high-profile entries like Beyoncé's 2024 country album Cowboy Carter, where traditionalist voices contended that fans demonstrated agency by prioritizing musical authenticity over imposed inclusivity narratives, as seen in mixed reception and sales data reflecting selective embrace rather than uniform rejection or acceptance. Critics from right-leaning or preservationist perspectives, including commenters on industry forums, highlighted empirical fan behaviors—such as sustained support for artists like amid his 2023 "Try That in a Small Town" controversy—as evidence against top-down assumptions of manipulability, underscoring epistemic caution in dismissing listener autonomy. Secor has defended his positions by emphasizing the apolitical essence of roots music traditions, rooted in historical storytelling from figures like , while acknowledging band output like "Louder Than Guns" engages causal realities of violence without dictating interpretations. In a December 2023 interview, he expressed openness to cross-ideological collaboration, stating he would tour with Aldean despite differing views on gun issues, prioritizing shared artistic ground over division and affirming fans' capacity for personal agency in engaging music. This stance aligns with Secor's broader advocacy for musician-led on social matters, though peers in traditional circles have largely maintained distance, with limited direct rebuttals beyond the initial genre-guardian critiques.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Ketch Secor married author Lydia Peelle on November 3, 2001, in . The couple met as students at , where Secor attended on scholarship. Peelle, a fiction writer whose works include the story collection Reasons for and Advantages of Breathing, has collaborated with Secor on community initiatives, such as co-founding the Episcopal School of Nashville. Secor and Peelle have two children, a son and a daughter, who as of 2023 were young students at the Episcopal School of Nashville. The family resides in , prioritizing privacy regarding further personal details.

Lifestyle and Residences

Secor has resided in , for over 25 years as of 2025, drawn to the city as a hub for roots music and Americana traditions during the early stages of Old Crow Medicine Show's career. His immersion in Nashville's cultural scene reflects a commitment to the city's historical role in preserving old-time and music, though he has expressed appreciation for its evolving landscape without endorsing rapid urban changes. His lifestyle centers on the rigors of professional touring, with maintaining an annual schedule of dozens of performances across , balanced by periods of creative work and local involvement in . As a enthusiast rooted in Appalachian and Southern , Secor pursues interests in cultural preservation, including contributions to projects documenting American musical heritage, which inform his non-performance routines. He advocates for traditional crafts and rural traditions through his artistic output, emphasizing connections to pre-modern American life over modern conveniences.

References

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