Bluegrass Star Billy Strings Adopts Highway in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Michigan loves Billy Strings! The Michigan native and Grammy award-winning bluegrass performer just reaffirmed his commitment to "Keep Michigan Beautiful" by preserving the state’s natural charm-- one highway at a time.

The next time you're traveling out of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, keep your eyes open for one of Michigan's newest adopted highways.

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One of the biggest musical sensations to come out of Michigan in recent years is Muir-area native Billy Strings. The 32-year old bluegrass star has performed on such historic stages as Nashville's Ryman Theatre, worked with legends like Willie Nelson and Jason Isbell, and even borrowed Ringo Starr's private jet to leave his own music festival to rush back to Michigan to catch the birth of his first child at a Grand Rapids hospital.

In fact, Billy came back to give a special performance for the staff and families at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital as a thanks for the great care Billy, his wife Ally, and their son River received after River ended up in the NICU.

Truly, we cannot say enough great things about Billy Strings!

Billy and his team are known for their philanthropic endeavors as Crain's Grand Rapids Business reported in 2024 the performer contributed $75,000 across two separate donations to back the non-profit Well House and their mission to provide affordable access to housing saying in an interview,

I grew up around there, and I've seen the homeless population in downtown Grand Rapids...now that I'm grown up, it feels nice to give back to the community - Billy Strings

Now, Billy shares his most recent efforts to beautify Michigan by joining the Adopt-A-Highway program. The star's official social media accounts shared the news on Wednesday, October 1:

We adopted a highway! Just east of the Grand Rapids airport on Route 96 to help Keep Michigan Beautiful, one mile at a time