Kathy Mattea's strong, slighty raspy voice takes you deep into the heart of each and every song. Mattea's sound is a mix of country, folk, traditional Celtic and traditional Appalachian, and a little bluegrass.

Mattea, born and raised in Cross Lanes, W.V., embraces her Appalachian heritage and musical roots. She traveled annually for 10 years to Scotland tracing the connection between country music and traditional Scottish folk. In the process she met Dougie MacLean (at the Opera House earlier this summer) and the two have been friends ever since.

“We would play music into the night and talk,” Mattea said in a telephone conversation on August 7. “One night there was a big gathering and a rainstorm came up. It was very late and we all stood in a circle in this tent singing everything from Beatles songs to traditional Scottish songs to Odetta slave songs. And as we were standing and singing I realized that Appalachian music is about the moment Celtic met the blues.”

Since the 1990s, Mattea has used her voice to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's Disease, she has raised money for U.S. troops during the the first Gulf War. In the 2000's she turned her focus toward her home state of West Virginia to join the fight to end the mining practice of mountaintop removal to extract coal.

“It just felt right to get involved,” Mattea said. Some have said it's her calling.

“Really, for me, it's a minute-to-minute listening to my calling,” Mattea said in a telephone interview on August 7. “I've met people affected by it (mountaintop removal) and people involved in it. I want to help people have a voice and tell their stories and hold civil conversations.”

Her CD, “Coal,” released in 2008, is a collection of Appalachian mining songs. Both of Mattea's grandfather's were coal miners. One track, “Black Lung” is performed a cappella. Mattea said this song taught her a lot about singing. She spent six months working on creating her own version of it.

“Hazel Dickinson sings Black Lung from a place of pure anguish about her brother,” Mattea said. “When we recorded it in the studio, Marty Stuart (producer) asked me if I wanted to try to sing it because no one was coming to record anything for two hours. I balked at first. When I finally did and they played it back, that was it. One of the guys in the studio was in tears, his father had died of black lung, and he's a pretty stoic guy.”

When she takes the stage at the Opera House on Friday, Aug. 16, she will be accompanied by her “rockin' acoustic band.” for this Calling Me Home tour featuring Eamonn O'Rourke of County Donegal, Ireland on fiddle and mandolin; David Spicher on bass and Bill Cooley (her musical anchor and rock) on guitar. In addition to songs from “Coal,” Mattea will be playing tunes from her new release, “Calling Me Home,” and some old favorites.

“I try to hit touchstones and throw in some surprises,” Mattea said. “If I do my job right, everyone will have one belly laugh and one tear in their eye.”

Mattea will be on the Opera House stage Friday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.

For tickets and information, call the Opera House box office: 207-633-5159.