Dear Listener,                                                                                                                                                                                 

Maggie's Journal is a genuine and profound offering —a musical journey born from the raw, poignant words of my great-Maggie's Journal.  Released on Bell Buckle Records (UPC: 085218111151), this album is a 12-year labor of love blending bluegrass, Americana, and roots music to tell Maggie's story. Her Journal, discovered by my cousins Kathy Jones Ead and Fonda Wells written in a "Car Load Tablet" tucked inside an attic trunk, revealed a life untold—a young woman married too early to a violent man, her hardened exterior hiding a kind, gentle soul. Her words, raw and emotional, paint a vivid picture of life on western Missouri farms after the Civil War, offering timeless lessons about resilience, women's and children's rights, education, and the human spirit.

Across 30 tracks —from the soulful "That Was A Long Time Ago" to the tender "Alva's Lullaby" and the stark "Jim O'Dell, Straight From Hell" — Maggie's world unfolds through songs and narrated journal excerpts, voiced by me. Rooted in folk traditions, the music weaves a conversation across generations, with strings that soar, banjo and mandolin that pulse, and harmonies that carry her joys and sorrows. Each note feels like a collaboration with Maggie, a woman I never met but whose spirit guided me through this 12-year journey. I hope this album speaks to you, inviting reflection on our shared history and the enduring power of courage and compassion. 

With gratitude, 
Valerie Smith 
Bell Buckle Records / © Valerie Stevens 2023                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The musical Maggie's Journal is based on the early life of Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis, my great-grandmother.  A copy of her journal was given to me by direct relatives who were close to her. They found a tablet with "Car Load Tablet" written on the front cover in an old trunk upstairs, located in her attic, years after she died. Her story was surprising for many reasons; she had told no one of her younger years. We found out that she had been married at a very early age to a violent man, and we also learned that under her hardened exterior was a beautiful, kind, and gentle soul. She has a story to tell, and her words are very personal, emotional, and raw. To me, her story is a masterpiece about what life was like on the Missouri farms after the Civil War. This project took me twelve years to create because I literally felt that I was writing music with my great-grandmother, Maggie, whom I had never met. So many tears and raw emotions are shared in her story, and I hope it teaches us all about ourselves, American history, society, women's and children's rights, and the importance of education. - Valerie Smith

Album Bio: Maggie’s Journal by Valerie Smith

Maggie’s Journal (Bell Buckle Records, UPC: 085218111151) is a profound and heartfelt musical narrative that brings to life the raw, emotional story of Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis, the great-grandmother of bluegrass luminary Valerie Smith.

This ambitious 30-track album, a 12-year labor of love, blends bluegrass, Americana, and roots music to create a sonic tapestry which intertwines original songs with spoken-word excerpts from Maggie’s journal. That journal was discovered by Smith’s cousins, Kathy Eaton and Fonda Wells, hand-written in a “Car Load Tablet” hidden in an attic trunk.

Unveiling a life untold, the journal reveals Maggie’s early years in post-Civil War rural Missouri—married young to a violent man, her hardened exterior masking a kind, gentle soul. Her story, personal and unflinching, is a masterpiece of resilience, offering timeless insights into American history, women’s and children’s rights, education, and the enduring human spirit.

Crafted with deep reverence, Maggie’s Journal is in many ways a collaboration between Smith and her great-grandmother, whom she never met. The album’s tracks, from the haunting “That Was A Long Time Ago” to the tender “Alva’s Lullaby” and the stark “Jim O’Dell, Straight From Hell,” weave a narrative of struggle and grace, rooted in the storytelling traditions of folk and bluegrass. Smith’s evocative lead vocals, embodying Maggie’s voice, are complemented by rich harmonies from Donna Ulisse, Josie Smith, Mike Rogers, Rosa Vestal, and Aaron Vestal. The instrumentation—featuring Cody Kilby (acoustic guitar, mandolin), Stephen Burwell (violin), Evan Winsor (upright bass), and Scott Vestal (banjo)—pulses with life, capturing the raw emotion of Maggie’s world.

Produced by Donna Ulisse, whose songwriting partnership with Smith (along with writers Daniel Crabtree and Ann Miller) shapes the album’s lyrical depth, Maggie’s Journal was recorded at Tim Carter’s Tree House Studio in Ridgetop, TN, and Scott Vestal’s Digital Underground in Greenbrier, TN, with masterful engineering by both. Chris Latham’s mixing and mastering lend a polished yet soulful sound. Visually, David Lynch’s stunning CD design and John Murray’s breathtaking artwork mirror the album’s emotional resonance, has brought her story to a global audience.

Valerie Smith, a bluegrass powerhouse with a career spanning over three decades, brings her signature “sassy, sultry, siren-like” vocals (as once described by NPR’s Dave Higgs) to this deeply personal project. Smith’s artistry shines through, building on her legacy of Grammy, IBMA, and Dove Award nominations and collaborations with legends like Tom T. Hall and Ralph Stanley. Maggie’s Journal stands as a testament to Maggie’s plain and powerful storytelling, inviting listeners to reflect on history, resilience, and the power of music to connect across generations.

℗ © Valerie Stevens 2023