Charleston, WV

Music connected to Charleston

Ready to unearth some musical gems in West Virginia? RoadyGoat directs you to Charleston, a city humming with Appalachian charm and a surprising number of song mentions. Sierra Ferrell paints vivid pictures of the city in tracks like "American Dreaming," "Dollar Bill Bar," and "Lighthouse" while Black Tiger Mountain's "Charleston Girl" offers another perspective. The city also gets a shoutout from Big & Rich in "Comin' to Your City" and even makes an appearance in Johnny Cash's epic "I've Been Everywhere."

Beyond the music, Charleston's story is etched in the surrounding Appalachian landscape. The Kanawha River, which fueled the city's early salt production, still flows strong. While you're exploring, remember that soul music icon Bill Withers was born nearby, and the eerie Mothman legend has roots in the Kanawha Valley. Today, Charleston blends mountain spirit with city energy, a place where you can tap your feet to the music and feel the pulse of West Virginia's most populous city.

About Charleston

• Bill Withers, soul music icon, was born in Slab Fork, near Charleston.
• The Mothman legend, though centered in Point Pleasant, has roots in Kanawha Valley.
• Salt production along the Kanawha River established Charleston as a key commercial center.
• Charleston's Capitol Market was once a bustling train depot, now a popular public market.
• The Great Fire of 1892 decimated downtown, leading to reconstruction with brick.
• Named for Charles Clendenin, it was established in 1794.
• With roughly 47,000 residents, it's West Virginia's most populous city.
• Its elevation is 597 feet, lower than many West Virginian cities.
• Government, healthcare, and education are dominant Charleston industries.
• A blend of mountain charm and city energy creates a welcoming atmosphere.
• The area's geology is defined by the Appalachian Plateau, characterized by sedimentary rock layers.
• The Kanawha Falls, a wide and powerful waterfall, lies approximately 30 miles upstream from Charleston.
• The Kanawha River flows through Charleston, playing a significant role in the city's development.
• The Cheat Mountain salamander, a threatened species, can be found in the surrounding Appalachian forests.
• Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests surround the area, featuring diverse hardwood trees.
• In 1961, President John F. Kennedy visited Charleston to address economic issues in the state.
• The West Virginia State Capitol, designed by Cass Gilbert, was completed in 1932.
• Interstate 64 connects Charleston to Huntington and Beckley.

Artists From Charleston

A.P. Appleberry Abe White Ahulabrum Al Elias Allie McGhee Alphonse Mouzon Amanda Smith American Minor Andy Dick Andy Kubiszewski Ann Crumb Arthur Freed Audrey Bilger Audrey Harrison Bertha “Chippie” Hill Bill Benford Bob Gaddy Bobby Wright Brave Baby Byzantine Cady Coleman Charlie Cline Charlie Gore Charlotte Martin Chris Fabry Chris Smith Christian Lopez Clark Kessinger Cliff Smalls Company Cuba Austin Daniel D. Danny Harrison Darryl D’Bonneau David Morris Deepfield Dick Justice DJ Speedy Don Redman Dub Island Soundsystem DuBose Heyward Dwight Diller Dyslexic Apaches Edmund Jenkins Eric Bass Firework Show Freddie Green Fud Livingston Gene Meadows Gene Mikell Genius Productions George Crumb George Reed Gloria Ann Taylor Gus Aiken H-Bomb Ferguson Hal Jackson Hickory Wind Homer Bailes Index for Potential Suicide Jack Gregg Jake Kohn James F. Byrnes James Johnson Janie Bradford Jared Logan Jason Ingram Jessica Hische Jim Fogelsong Jim Foglesong Jimmy Priddy Joey Morant John Bolten Johnnie Bailes Johnny Wilson Josh Strickland JT LeRoy Julian Dash Kelontae Gavin Ken Knox Kirk Stuart Latimore Laura Albert Laura Lee Perkins Little Archie Lou Marini Ma'am Marie Siegling Marion Meadows Maury Mayne Maxx Kidd Melvin Goins Mose Coffman Nechochwen Nocturnal Kernalz Oscar Wright Patti Drew Paul Root Wolpe Pete Briggs Quentin Baxter Richard Zimmerman Riot Stares Robert Drasnin Ronnie Free Rufus Jones Scenes From a Movie Sea Scout Seacoast Music Seven Planets Sierra Ferrell Sinz of Eden Sixteen Tons Slow Runner Snow Fisher SondorBlue St. Clair Pinckney Stella by Starlight Steve Whiteman Stoney Cooper The Carpenter Ants The Explorers Club The Films The Minus Tide The Plainfield Project The Working Title Time and Distance Timothy James Robinson Tom Delaney Tommy Benford Tony Taylor Turley Richards Urylee Leonardos Vollmar Walter Bailes Wayne Moss William Bland Willie Smith Yearling

Songs About Charleston

American Dreaming by

Dollar Bill Bar by

In Dreams by

Jeremiah by

Lighthouse by

fox hunt by

Charleston Girl by

Charleston by

Charleston Girl (Live) by

Charleston Girl by

Trouble With You by

the witches of appalachia by

Comin’ to Your City by

I've Been Everywhere by

A Country Boy Can Survive by

No Guarantees by

Charleston Girl by

Here for a Good Time by

Dear Miss Loretta by

Bust out the Moonshine by

Liquor To Like Her by

God Made A Good Ol’ Boy by

Me And The Wildwood Rose by

Black & Blue by

Eatin’ Big Time by

Universal Sound by

You’re gonna miss me by

Miner Imperfections by

Party Girl by

The Coalition to Ban Coalitions by

Women I’ve Never Had by

Working Man’s Dream by

All Comes Floodin’ Down by

Fool Hearted Lover by

Moonshiner by

Baby Let Your Hair Roll Down by

Take Me Home, Country Roads by

The Gun by

Nearby Places

A.P. Appleberry Abe White Ahulabrum Al Elias Allie McGhee Alphonse Mouzon Amanda Smith American Minor Andy Dick Andy Kubiszewski Ann Crumb Arthur Freed Audrey Bilger Audrey Harrison Bertha “Chippie” Hill Bill Benford Bob Gaddy Bobby Wright Brave Baby Byzantine Cady Coleman Charlie Cline Charlie Gore Charlotte Martin Chris Fabry Chris Smith Christian Lopez Clark Kessinger Cliff Smalls Company Cuba Austin DJ Speedy Daniel D. Danny Harrison Darryl D’Bonneau David Morris Deepfield Dick Justice Don Redman DuBose Heyward Dub Island Soundsystem Dwight Diller Dyslexic Apaches Edmund Jenkins Eric Bass Firework Show Freddie Green Fud Livingston Gene Meadows Gene Mikell Genius Productions George Crumb George Reed Gloria Ann Taylor Gus Aiken H-Bomb Ferguson Hal Jackson Hickory Wind Homer Bailes Index for Potential Suicide JT LeRoy Jack Gregg Jake Kohn James F. Byrnes James Johnson Janie Bradford Jared Logan Jason Ingram Jessica Hische Jim Fogelsong Jim Foglesong Jimmy Priddy Joey Morant John Bolten Johnnie Bailes Johnny Wilson Josh Strickland Julian Dash Kelontae Gavin Ken Knox Kirk Stuart Latimore Laura Albert Laura Lee Perkins Little Archie Lou Marini Ma'am Marie Siegling Marion Meadows Maury Mayne Maxx Kidd Melvin Goins Mose Coffman Nechochwen Nocturnal Kernalz Oscar Wright Patti Drew Paul Root Wolpe Pete Briggs Quentin Baxter Richard Zimmerman Riot Stares Robert Drasnin Ronnie Free Rufus Jones Scenes From a Movie Sea Scout Seacoast Music Seven Planets Sierra Ferrell Sinz of Eden Sixteen Tons Slow Runner Snow Fisher SondorBlue St. Clair Pinckney Stella by Starlight Steve Whiteman Stoney Cooper The Carpenter Ants The Explorers Club The Films The Minus Tide The Plainfield Project The Working Title Time and Distance Timothy James Robinson Tom Delaney Tommy Benford Tony Taylor Turley Richards Urylee Leonardos Vollmar Walter Bailes Wayne Moss William Bland Willie Smith Yearling Ashland, KY Athens, OH Beattyville, KY Butcher Hollow, KY Campton, KY Canonsburg, PA Catlettsburg, KY Comfort, WV Corbin, KY Cordell, KY