SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I have a request for all the readers here, i am trying to remember either the author of a series or the title of any of the books.
The first book starts out with a man in jail. He is listening to the radio playing songs, with the purpose of predicting the events of the day, because that is his knack. Seems he comes from a family who all have a knack of some kind. Apparently the knacks only activate if the person is physically undamaged. One family member doesn't have a knack because of an injury acquired during a high diving competition that has left his leg damaged.
The family, as a group, is very influential in there county (I seem to think it is southern, nearly an antebellum flavor, but the time is current). One of the things i remember is that some heads of family keep a young woman as a 'foot holder'; seemingly a source of power ora necessity to the process of scanning and influencing their environment.
Any help appreciated

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Ray, when did you read these books? Do you recall if they were new at the time you read them, or older? Did the books in the series all feature the same main character(s), or did each book focus on a different one? Would you say the books were aimed at adults or kids?

Also, could you explain any more about this "foot holder" -- like, does she actually hold someone's feet, or...?

I read these years ago. The primary character does not change in the two of the series that I remember but there may be several pivotal characters. I retain a sense of the family(s) involved as Celtic transplants to the americas...Druidic might be a better description. The books are very much adult, some parts are quite gruesome in fact.
And yes, the foot-holder, always a young woman, does indeed hold the masters feet while he delves the area and people under his care/influence.
The foot-holder derives some health benefit? From the relationship and her usefulness as a foot-holder is destroyed if there is any hint of a sexual relationship between herself and the master.
I seem to remember that the relations between different members of this family are congenial only on the surface...

Do you remember anything about the books cover? The name of any characters or the town?

These were paperback editions...what I can remember of the cover is a scene bordered in a diamond frame of Celtic knotwork. Another tidbit: As mentioned, the member of this clan all have a knack of one kind or another. The primary character of the first book has a knack with metal, so much so that he cast and created his own car! Also an ornate crutch encrusted with metal work bas-relief figures.
Thanks for asking, it made me dig a little deeper into the memory.