Saturday at 7 p.m., Mississippi State University will welcome singer/songwriter Kate Campbell in concert to the Bettersworth Auditorium at the School of Architecture. Campbell’s music is a mixture of styles, including country, blues, folk and gospel. While residing in Nashville, Tenn., Campbell has recorded five critically acclaimed contemporary folk albums, and her newest album, Wandering Strange, has been included in several Best of 2001 lists.
As the daughter of a Baptist preacher, Campbell was inspired as a child by the work of Southern writers and the people, culture and places of the Deep South.
She has been compared to Southern writers such as Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Conner and William Faulkner for her use of brilliant lyrics to paint a vivid picture of life in the South.
“I think many people will be drawn to her lyrics and music,” Dianna Bridges, who invited Campbell to MSU’s campus, said. “Her lyrics are very literal, and it is obvious that she was influenced by Southern writers.”
Campbell has toured with well known singers Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris, and two of her albums, Visions of Plenty and Moonpie Dreams, have been nominated for Folk Album of the Year at the Nashville Music Awards.
“Campbell does a lot of concerts in the Deep South,” Bridges said. “She feels at home in Mississippi.”
Campbell recently performed at a Habitat for Humanity benefit concert in Mississippi, and the MSU radio station has played some of her music before the concert was publicized.
Campbell’s most recent album is a gospel influenced album, but her music is not contemporary Christian.
“She sings a lot about life in the South and how faith has influenced her,” Bridges said.
Those who would like a copy of Campbell’s music can purchase it at the concert or visit Barnes & Noble.
“Campbell is a great storyteller,” Bridges said. “I think anyone can appreciate her music.