Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s evolved out of a documentary produced by WCTE-PBS in 2006. The star was Jack Stoddart, a fine art photographer whose life was spent living on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee documenting the vanishing culture of the Appalachian “hill people,” who even in the late 1970’s and early 80’s were still working the land with horse and plough, and surviving in seclusion. After an influential week spent with documentary producer and WCTE President/CEO Becky Magura, Stoddart commenced development of a documentary series about Americana music for broadcast locally on WCTE.
In 2007, Stoddart, produced an 8-episode pilot series for broadcast locally on WCTE. Because the program was filmed on his farm and he was known around town as Hippie Jack, he called the Americana roots music show Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s. In 2008, Stoddart produced a 13-episode television series for broadcast on WCTE, and in 2009 the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) was approached with a proposal to distribute the series. Each program would feature an Americana musician.
The initial national broadcast of the program in early 2009 was a phenomenal success, with 44 public television stations in 14 states picking up the program and broadcasting it to a potential audience of over 89 million people. By the next season, more stations picked up the show, and by December of 2010, 94 stations in 22 states were broadcasting JAHJ to a potential audience of 112 million people. Today the program is broadcast in 30 states to approximately 144 million people and continues to gain support.
In November 2010, the Council of Americana Roots Music (COARM), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was established to oversee Stoddart’s vision of cultural enrichment, economic development, and humanitarian efforts. Since, COARM’s inception, more staff and volunteers have been brought on to assist Stoddart’s dream of community enrichment and outreach. COARM operates from Crawford, TN in unincorporated Overton County. Operations are overseen by a six person Board of Directors comprised of business and community leaders.
In 2015 Stoddart began to focus his time and energy into humanitarian efforts for Appalachians in former mining communities around Overton county. It began simply, by asking people to bring in donations of food and clothes to distribute to people that Stoddart knew personally. The next step of increasing outreach was teaming up with; Soles4Souls, The Stephens Center, The AD Foundation, and TDOT Recycling. With incredible support from other organizations and locals in the community The Council Of Americana Roots Music (COARM) has expanded its outreach, and in 2017 our efforts include;
8 Bus loads of food and clothes, delivered.
50 SUV loads of food and clothes, delivered.
60 ricks of firewood delivered, including the hiring of locals to cut the firewood.
Bill assistance (water, electric, gas, and medical co-pay).
Partnering with Livingston Reach Academy’s backpack program, and providing meals to students and their families.
2nd Annual Head Start Christmas Dinner (a bus-load with 300 children coats, presents and food).
A 5 day event in late December were over 300 people were given food, clothes, and children’s toys.
Now the music festival includes more emphasis on our humanitarian efforts, marked by being renamed, Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s Appalachian Outreach Music and Arts Festival.
Learn More or Donate to
COARM or Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s
