Christina “Redd” Daugherty navigates a new chapter as both musician and business owner, balancing passion for what’s next and the legacy of a dear friend
In the heart of Knoxville’s music scene, one name has emerged as a beacon of resilience, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit—Christina “Redd” Daugherty. I sat down with Redd back in 2022 as she prepared for the release of her very first album, Monsters & Mothers. It’s only been a few years, but so much has changed for this former English teacher turned music entrepreneur. At the time, Redd was learning what it meant to her to be an artist, but as we sat down to talk recently, her story—one of heartbreak, adaptation, and an unwavering commitment to the music community that has shaped her—has become about so much more.
You might recall that Redd’s journey into the music industry wasn’t planned. “I was an English teacher,” she says, laughing at how unexpected her current path has been. “I taught English, yearbook, and journalism. But before all of that, I grew up in Clinton, Tennessee, and I worked at the local Food City.”
It was at the grocery store that she met Jim Gadd, a regular customer and brass repair technician at Rush’s Music. Recognizing her love for music, Gadd offered her a future opportunity, should she ever decide to leave retail. When she turned 18, she took him up on the offer.
“That’s when I met Steve Boyce for the first time,” she recalls, referring to Rush’s former owner. “I worked at Rush’s from 18 basically to, well,
I guess I never really left.” She came back on and off, working on string and orchestral instruments. “I’ve just always kind of been here.”
A Turning Point
Life took an unexpected turn in 2023 when Jason Cooper, the owner of Rush’s Music and one of Redd’s closest friends, suddenly passed away. “I had a full-blown panic attack meltdown in the Knox County Police Department parking lot,” she admits, “because I didn’t know what to do and I needed more information.”
Redd would get a second shock later on as she learned that Cooper left Rush’s Music to her in his will. “I had no idea that he had this idea,” she says. “I think that’s why he didn’t tell me; I would have said, ‘No, I have other plans.’” But she took it on, honoring her friend’s wishes.
Managing grief while stepping into an unexpected leadership role was no easy feat. But with the help of her bandmates—Katie Adams, Colleen De Leo, and Gavin Greg—who encouraged her to work her hardest to move forward, she found a way through. “Now I’m trying to get back into a growth mindset again,” Redd says. 
Finding Purpose Through Music
Taking over a music institution with deep Knoxville roots came with its own set of challenges, but Redd calls it “good chaos” and has found clarity in her new role alongside her oldest love. “Music is, in a lot of ways, my baby,” she says, “performing, supporting the community, and just being completely covered up and divulging into music and the scene.”
Instead of focusing on the challenges, though, she’s facing them head-on and propelling her energy into helping those around her, utilizing this new platform she’s found herself with. “I have an enormous privilege and power that not everybody has,” she says, “and I want to leverage that to help other artists in the community, and our band directors, and our kiddos and schools and band programs.” Part of that work is the creation of a scholarship program for music students.
“It’s an enormous responsibility, and I’m excited and happy to take that and run with it to help other artists in the community. I don’t think that there are a lot of spaces for that.” Redd adds later, “I don’t know exactly what it means to support local artists yet, but I’m sure they’ll tell me.”
While she never anticipated where she would be right now, Redd has found purpose in the journey. “The grief is so hard, but I’m very thankful and very lucky to be here. I had it in my thick skull, ‘This is what my life is going to look like and this is the direction that I’m going to go in,’ but the universe is like, ‘No, thank you, ma’am. That’s not what we have in store for you.’”
A Future Rooted in Growth
Our journeys aren’t always what we plan, but if Redd’s story can teach us anything, it’s that there’s purpose in what we are handed. Alongside this is Redd’s advice to others navigating creative careers: “Find people you’re okay with failing in front of, hard and fast. I’ve failed so much in 2023 and 2024, but learning is my best friend.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a singer-songwriter or if you’re trying to open up a business of your own, harnessing the power of failure is literally what propels us forward.”
Her story is a testament to resilience. With Rush’s thriving under her leadership, Redd is now focusing on her band, Redd and the Paper Flowers. “We’re going on tour for most of 2025,” she shares. “We’ve got an album release in May for Appalachian Bell Jar, and we’re doing a live recording at Pink Moon.”
Follow her journey at reddandthepaperflowers.com.
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