Our guest on this episode of Art of the Song is John Lilly. An award-winning writer and performer, he has long been a fixture of the West Virginia music scene. John has written at least one song a week since 1989, but has never been a household name. In 2010 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and it appeared his touring days were numbered. In 2020, as the pandemic shut down live music across the world, John’s work and income came to a standstill.

It was then that John’s friend, co-writer (and Art of the Song alum), Jackson Emmer, stepped in to help by producing a tribute album with 100% of the proceeds going to John. As word spread about the project, artists came out of the woodwork, eager to sing John’s songs. The album is called April in your Eyes, and features such notables as Kathy Mattea, Tim O’Brien, Bill Kirchen, and Tom Paxton.