Jimmy Webb receives Steve Cooley Banjo and Bluegrass Music Scholarship
Morehead State University's Kentucky Center for Traditional Music preserves the musical heritage of the Appalachian region while helping students with a passion for traditional music reach their full potential and pursue successful careers. Thanks to a generous donation, one KCTM student will have additional financial support to achieve their goals.
The MSU Foundation and the KCTM have named Jimmy Webb, a first-year student and traditional music major from Frankfort, as this year's recipient of the Steve Cooley Banjo and Bluegrass Music Scholarship.
The announcement occurred during the KCTM's End of Semester Concert this past April. Webb will be the second student in MSU history to receive this scholarship.
When the fiddle player heard his name announced as the recipient, Webb said he felt a mix of emotions.
"I was not having the best day, and I was stressed all day. After I got off stage, Alanabeth (Duncan, fellow first-year traditional music major from Roxboro, North Carolina) told me that Daxson wanted me on the left side of the stage," said Webb. "As soon as he said my name, it was all smiles from everyone, and everyone was cheering me on. I was really happy and was at a loss for words."
Steve Cooley, the scholarship namesake, has been an icon in the bluegrass and music scene for more than 50 years. He has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and Carnegie Hall and has been featured on classic television shows. Cooley has worked with other legends, including Bill Monroe, Jean Ritchie, Hazel Dickens, Mac Wiseman, Rose Maddox and more. Several recordings featuring Cooley have been nominated for Grammy Awards, and he was a finalist for a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Recording in 1991 with the Dillards.
Daxson Lewis (Class of 2016), director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, said he is thankful for people who want to support students and see them succeed in higher education.
"They could have chosen any number of other institutions," said Lewis. "All of them are top-notch and worthy of this kind of support, but they (the anonymous donor who created the fund in Cooley's honor in 2025) opted to give to Morehead State University for the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music because they saw the caliber of musicians that are graduating from our program, the quality of our instructors, and our curriculum."
Recipients of the scholarship must be working towards either a Bachelor of Arts or a Minor in Traditional Music. Preference will be given to students who play the banjo as their primary instrument.
Lewis said he hopes that having scholarship opportunities like the Steve Cooley Banjo and Bluegrass Music Scholarship here at MSU will help increase enrollment within the KCTM.
"Knowing that we have the opportunity to help students, like Jimmy, to focus on their studies in such a way that a financial burden is not looming over their head is wonderful," Lewis said. "To see the burden lifted off of them in the moment when we make the announcement has moved me to tears."
Students interested in submitting an application to enroll in the KCTM should contact Lewis at dglewis@moreheadstate.edu.
To learn more about this scholarship or how to create your own, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations & Development at 606-783-2033 or email giving@moreheadstate.edu.
To learn more about scholarships at Morehead State, visit www.moreheadstate.edu/scholarships.
