Leah Grams Johnson, Dutch Vanderpool and Kitty Dearing Live!

About The Artists:
Leah Grams Johnson is an artist and songwriter, hailing from the rugged coast of Northern California. With a distinct timbre akin to the untamable spirit of the American West, Leah’s authentic take on Folk and Country music has resonated with fans of all musical backgrounds nationwide. Raised on the voices of strong impassioned women like Emmylou Harris and Joni Mitchell, Leah discovered early on her path the magic of music and power of a well-written song. She is an alumna of both the Berklee College of Music and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and has been a finalist in numerous songwriting contests including the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. With the release of her debut full length record “State of Grace” in the spring of 2026, Leah divides her time writing songs in Nashville— where she has resided for over a decade— and singing them in the West.

Like those who came before her she so deeply admires, Leah is a woman of heart and mind. She is her own breed of cowgirl mystic, living on gut feelings, with an unshakeable love for the world.

Dutch Vanderpool makes his home in Fayette County, Tennessee. He grew up on the outskirts of a small town in southeast Kansas in a family that was not particularly musical. Though he sang in a cover band in high school, Dutch didn’t pick up the guitar until just before he left for a tour in the Navy, which landed him in the Memphis area six years later. For a couple of decades, songwriting and singing were just a pastime while he and his wife raised their three sons. He also wrote three mystery/action novels during this time.

Over recent years, Dutch has focused more on the craft of songwriting and sharing his songs in local venues and songwriter events when the opportunity arises. He was a Top Eight finalist in the Memphis Songwriters Association annual songwriter competition for 2024, 2025, and 2026, taking second place in 2026. Dutch also won a 2026 qualifying round in the Tennessee Songwriters Week competition.

He released an album of his music in 2024 called "Rugged Lines", which is available at dutchvanderpoolmusic.com and on all the streaming platforms. He also has an album of Scripture memory songs called “The Word in My Heart”, which is available to stream everywhere. Dutch describes his music as "in the neighborhood of Americana."

Kitty Dearing is a very popular singer/songwriter born and raised in Memphis. She often performs with her band, The Dagnabbits or with other bands in town as well as her solo set.

Kitty combines the sounds of blues, soul and folk and delivers her vocals with power and compassion. She's a veteran of the South Main Stage and we're thrilled to have her back!