You've probably driven past it hundreds of times, the white storefront between Paulette and Maynardville, with the maxim emblazoned on the sign, "Music self-played is happiness self-made." But you might not know that Woods Music, now in its 10th year, is visited by folks from as far a way as Kentucky and Alabama, who stop in for fellowship, advice, and the chance that an impromptu jam session might break out.

And that's the way proprietor Jim Woods likes it. He handles the busy work of running the music store while folks aren't in, so he has time to chat or sing or jam when folks stop by.

"Everyone who comes in here wishes they had a job like mine because they don't see me do anything," said Woods. "If I hadn't opened the store, I wouldn't have met so many people. I've got some of the best friendships that anyone could have."

Woods was born in New Loyston, and he first learned to play guitar from his mother, the late Virgie Woods, at age 10. She only knew five or six chords, but as she taught her son to play, she also taught him the words that grace his sign today, with the message that making your own music can see you through the best and worst of times.

Woods started writing songs at age 12, and he kept practicing and performing through school at Horace Maynard High, through college, and through 30 years as a manufactured homes dealer in Union County and Lake City. He's also a Missionary Baptist pastor "by choice, not by calling," and while he's not pastoring a church right now, "I try to pastor for pastors if I can," he said.

The interior of Woods Music has everything a "picker" could ask for: walls hung with stringed instruments, sound equipment, sheet music, and a thousand other tools of the trade. But the real treasure is in Woods' expertise and his reverence for the musical heritage that helps make Union County special.

"There's more pickers per capita in Union County than probably anywhere else in the world," he said, and many well known names in country music got their start in these hills and valleys.

Woods loves the people of Union County just as much as the music.

"I could have invested the same money and time and probably made 10 times the money if I'd gone into business somewhere else," he said. "The reason I'm here is that I love the people."

Put love of music and love of Union County's people together in a songwriter's mind, and you've got the recipe for a song. That's just what Jim Woods did a couple of years back, releasing an album with the song "Union County Dirt," which is all about being proud of your roots, even if other people aren't. On the same album, "Union County DNA" takes a look at that special something in Union County that seems to turn out great musicians.

"Union County Dirt" was played at local festivals and schools, and Woods turned it into a fundraising effort, selling Union County Dirt T-shirts with the proceeds going into a fund for improvements at the Union County Historical Society museum in Maynardville. The shirts ultimately raised $7,000, which Woods hopes will be seed money for a performance space at the museum. He also hopes to see an effort to make Union County a destination for country music and heritage tourism.

"We have put forth an effort to appeal to County Commission and the cities to take advantage of our history, our music and musicians, our heritage of music," he said. "I would love to see a motel and RV park, a celebration of Chet Atkins Month right around his birthday. People would come from all over the world to play where he was born. In my day, the only places you could play was in church or in bars. I want to give our young people another option."

But for now, Woods is looking to keep doing what he loves: giving lessons, running the store, and sneaking in those impromptu jam sessions.

"I've got four children and seven grandchildren, and I've seen what they do to people who retire," he said. "They find stuff for you to do! I'd rather stay working. I look forward to coming in here every day."

Woods Music is located at 1768 Maynardville Highway. For more information, call Jim Woods at 865-992-0000.