Sean Dietrich is the author of You Are My Sunshine (Zondervan), the true (and laugh out loud) story of a 350-mile bike ride the author undertook (on a three-wheeled tricycle) on The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath trail. The grueling, memorable trip fulfilled a long overdue promise to the author’s wife.

Dietrich is a columnist, podcaster, stand-up storyteller, and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Good Grit, South magazine, and other publications, and he has authored fourteen books.

Follow Sean’s daily writing at seandietrich.com or @seanofthesouth on Instagram.

Hailing from Jackson, MS, 5th Child blends southern bravado with thought-provoking and soulful lyrics, which gives listeners mesmerizing rhythms to rock to and grow from at the same time. This artist/producer/engineer mixes poetic commentary with real life stories, providing a poignant point of view with an accessible backdrop of soulful production.

Whether singing her own songs or tackling a standard like “I’d Rather Go Blind,” Marcella Simien’s hybrid of Memphis soul and Creole funk has captivated the city’s music lovers and made her one of the most in-demand artists in the region.

Like the flavors in a perfect gumbo, Simien’s music offers delicious blends of the Memphis sound infused with spicy accordion and piquant lyrics in French.

Hailing from Louisiana, Simien practically grew up on stage with her father, two-time Grammy-winner and zydeco maestro Terrance Simien. She moved to Memphis to attend the Memphis College of Art and quickly became a fixture in the city’s vibrant nightclub scene.