Zoe Jean Fowler grew up visiting the State Fair of WV. Now she’s returning as a performer.

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

“I grew up going to the fair,” says Nashville songwriter and recording artist Zoe Jean Fowler. “My family had a stand for almost 40 years called ‘Three Little Pigs.’ My grandma ran it with two of my aunts.”

Zoe grew up in Pittsburgh, but spent her summers in the Greenbrier Valley. “Growing up, it felt like we were VIPs at the fair. I remember seeing Kenny Chesney and other shows and being like, ‘This is the best thing ever. I want to do this.’”

Now, she is returning to her beloved summer home as a performer. You can catch her on the free stage at 1230pm, 3:30pm, or 530pm this Thursday.

Zoe’s journey

Ever since she was a child, Zoe has been writing songs. “I kind of kept it to myself,” she says. “Then I got really involved with my church in college.” She moved to Orange County, California, after graduating in order to write and perform with a worship group.

“It was so fun to be able to do music full time, but I really missed the storytelling element of songs that I feel like only lives at the level of songs I love in country music,” she recalls.

So she moved to Nashville, where she has lived for the past three years with her husband, Kendall Fowler (a music producer).

“I have a day job, and then I write. A lot,” she says. “It’s a busy schedule right now working during the day, writing in the afternoon, playing quite a few evenings around town.”

Zoe’s passion lies as a songwriter, and she strives to do that work full-time in Nashville eventually. She says it’s in her blood, and it all began during those summers in the Greenbrier Valley.

“One of the greatest things I had growing up was having a dad who loved old school songwriters who knew how to tell a story,” she remembers.

“I grew up with John Denver, John Prine, and James Taylor. The strength of their writing still influences me today. Then my dad was really kind to show me some female artists like Stevie Nicks and The Chicks, where they said what they said and they meant it.”

Who are Zoe’s influences today? “I love Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Kelsea Ballerini, female voices that share their stories in a really compelling way.”

What to expect at her fair show

Zoe will be joined onstage by her husband, Kendall, on guitar and fiddler Steven Bowman.

“We have this running joke that my songs will make you dance and wanna cry!” she shares. “You’re having a great time but the music has this heartfelt touch too. It will be special and full circle for me to even be there with my family history.”

Fans of Zoe’s work can expect to hear crowd favorites, but they’re also in for a treat. “I’m gonna be performing a ton of new songs. Unreleased songs.”