Kim Richey, photo by Stacie Huckeba
(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Grammy nominee Kim Richey will perform at Jersey Shore Arts Center on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 8:00pm. Local songstress Sharon Lasher will open the show. The show marks the finale of this season's Split Level Concerts Series, which highlights renowned Americana and contemporary folk musicians in a uniquely intimate setting.
Singer-songwriter Kim Richey has built a reputation as one of Americana and roots music’s most respected storytellers, known for her crystalline voice and emotionally resonant songwriting. Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Richey developed her musical voice gradually, drawing inspiration from pop, folk, and country influences before eventually making her way to Nashville. She emerged in the 1990s with a distinctive style that blended country, folk, and pop, earning critical praise for both her writing and her understated vocal delivery.
Richey first gained attention as a songwriter, co-writing the hit “Nobody Wins” with Radney Foster and later writing songs recorded by artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Brooks & Dunn. Her work with Yearwood on “Believe Me Baby (I Lied)” earned her a Grammy nomination and established her as a songwriter whose work could cross from the Nashville songwriting rooms to the top of the charts.
Her 1995 self-titled debut album introduced audiences to her clear, expressive voice and thoughtful writing, with singles such as “Just My Luck” and “Those Words We Said.” Follow-up releases including Bitter Sweet, Glimmer, and Rise expanded her reputation as an artist whose music moved fluidly between country, pop, and folk traditions while maintaining a deeply personal lyrical style.
Over the years, Richey has released a series of acclaimed albums and collaborated with a wide range of musicians, contributing harmony vocals and songwriting to projects across the Americana and roots world. Her recordings —from Chinese Boxes to her latest full-length, 2024’s Every New Beginning — have appeared on critics’ best-of lists and reinforced her reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter.
Decades into her career, Richey continues to write and record music that highlights her gift for vivid storytelling and melodic craftsmanship. With a catalog that spans multiple genres and a body of work admired by both fans and fellow artists, she remains a quietly influential figure in contemporary American songwriting.
Opener Sharon Lasher brings a sultry sizzle to the stage with rich vocals that are both powerful and passionate. Sharon can be heard belting out gritty done-me-wrong rockin’ blues, blending sweet harmonies to make a melody come alive, or melting your heart as she makes you feel she is singing that love song just for you.
Advance tickets are $30 and are available for purchase online. The Jersey Shore Arts Center is located at 66 South Main Street in Ocean Grove. Net ticket proceeds from all Split Level concerts support the programming and arts education offered by the Jersey Shore Arts Center, a non-profit organization serving Ocean Grove and its surrounding areas.
In addition, Jersey Shore Arts Center and Split Level Concerts are proud to partner with Brookdale Public Radio 90.5 The Night and Musicians On A Mission (MOAM) to promote the concert series. Musicians On A Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating connection and inspiring giving through music. MOAM will be on hand for all shows in the series, collecting non-perishable food items and cash donations to benefit Fulfill (formerly the Food Bank of Monmouth & Ocean County). Concertgoers that visit the MOAM table in the lobby before the show, or during intermission, can learn more about Fulfill’s mission and enter a drawing to win items donated by the artists, 90.5 The Night, and local businesses.
