Courtesy photo

Matt Ramsey

Add stained-glass company to the list of unlikely places where a performer can be discovered.

Five years ago, Buchanan native Matt Ramsey was working at Lynchburg Stained Glass. His co-workers knew that he was a singer-songwriter and gave him the heads-up when a former employee was coming in to visit. The ex-employee happened to be country music hitmaker Phil Vassar's sister, Tracy. Ramsey, who at 25 was already a veteran of the regional music scene, was ready with his demo disc.

"I did some shameless self-promotion," he said.

The disc actually made its way to Nashville, and soon, Vassar family members were encouraging him to come to Music City. Ramsey and his wife, Sara (a Lord Botetourt High School grad), decided to go. Next thing you know, the two were at Phil Vassar's house, drinking wine with the country music star.

"He is such a real person and such a down-to-earth guy," Ramsey said. "I was afraid to approach him, I didn't want to bother him with my music. But he would call me."

The Ramseys joined Vassar and his family for Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl.

"I think he was happy to have somebody from his neck of the woods here," Ramsey said.

Apparently, Vassar thought a lot of Ramsey's music, too. Three years back, Vassar signed his friend to a deal with his publishing company, Praley Music.

"It's kind of a dual-purpose publishing deal, where I'm writing these songs and pitching them to other artists to perform, and we're also recording them," Ramsey said.

He has a new CD, "A Different Man on a Different Road," full of rock-influenced country songs, and he's celebrating the release at 202 Market in Roanoke on Saturday night.

Ask nicely, and he might tell you about working with TV's Marcia Brady, aka Maureen McCormick, on the CMT reality show "Gone Country."

-- Tad Dickens