Melissa Hembree

Melissa Hembree is a Country Music Singer/Songwriter from right here in Okemah. She fronts the acoustic trio, The Union, where she is joined by her husband, Bruce Metcalf on bass, as well as Michael Kindell on lap steel and lead guitar. Melissa has been touring and playing music professionally for 4 decades and is currently writing for a new project. She hopes to be in studio by the end of the year.
In 2013, she recorded her EP titled Pieces of Me in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In a review for Corridor Magazine, Rick Reilly said, “The twist here is that it is done with a fine edge, a fine sense of humor, and biting wit. This is the story of a woman who has been around the block and remembers every scenic turn in the road. And she’s used every single one of them to her advantage.” It was followed by her sophomore album, Down The Rabbit Hole in 2018 released at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival. In 2020, she received the “Home Away From Home Artist of The Year” award from the Tulsa Music Awards. Summer 2021, the pavilion in Okemah’s Noble Park was named in her honor. Melissa is proud to call Okemah home and to be a part of the Woody Guthrie Festival.