Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina

Most folks don't think of the piano as an instrument in traditional music, but that never stopped Jeff Little from playing throughout his musical career. His introduction to piano came at a very young age in his father's music store in Boone. Jerrell Little, Doc Watson, Wayne Henderson, and others gave Jeff the lessons he would use to carry him throughout his musical career. Listen to this episode of Down the Road to learn more about Jeff Little's story. Little is a notable player who travels with his band, the Jeff Little Trio. He was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Discover more about him through the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.  Jack Williams and Doc Watson, "Slippin' Away" Doc Watson and Jeff Little, "I Am Pilgrim" Jeff Little Trio, "Shady Grove" Jeff Little Trio at Stecoah Valley Center The PodcastThe “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. Hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM, the podcast is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and WNCW-FM.More episodes.

Jayne Henderson had no intention of working in the world of music. She went to school to study environmental law. However, the heart knows what it wants. After growing up with creativity in her blood and a family of luthiers before her, Jayne found herself crafting guitars side-by-side with her father, with a twist... she chooses the materials mindfully, using wood right in her backyard. Music featured:  Doc Watson, "Tellin' My Troubles to My Old Guitar" Dream Guitars, Demo of Jayne Henderson's guitar Wayne Henderson, "Wheels" The PodcastThe “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. Hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM, the podcast is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and WNCW-FM.More episodes.

Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) is revered as one of the most influential and respected guitar players in the history of traditional music. Originally hailing from Deep Gap, NC, Doc was a self-taught harmonica, banjo, and guitar player. He is known for his work in multiple music genres, including bluegrass, folk, gospel, country, and old-time.  In 1988, Doc Watson held the first MerleFest in honor of his late son, Merle Watson. Doc described the festival as 'traditional, plus', as it highlights the traditional music of Western North Carolina and anything else. The now four-day festival is still held every April in Wilkesboro, NC, on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Listen to more about Merle Fest in Season One, Episode Two of the Down the Road podcast. And learn more about Doc Watson through the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.The PodcastThe “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. Hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM, the podcast is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and WNCW-FM.More episodes.

Some of the most prominent musicians in North Carolina were co-workers. Furniture, paper, and textiles were products that originated from mills across the state in the early 20th century. However, music was also a byproduct of the mills, as individuals like Charlie Poole, Roy Hall, Tommy Magnus, and the Martin family met at work and played together after business hours.

Wayne Erbsen has studied, played, taught, and written about traditional music for over 50 years. We talked to him about his new book, Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen, a collection of articles he wrote about legendary musicians from across the bluegrass and old-time music scenes. He started playing guitar and banjo in his native Southern California as a teen and arrived in Southern Appalachia in the 1970s.Go back into the Down the Road archives to Season 3, Episode 10, to learn more about Erbsen!

Dive into the golden age of country music as Down the Road remembers two North Carolinian entertainers who fell in love- Lulu Belle (Myrtle Eleanor Cooper) and Scotty Wiseman. They met when they were both working on the program National Barn Dance at WLS radio station in Chicago and married in 1934. Lulu Belle and Scotty went on to share songs and their lives, continuing to partner in music until 1958, when they retired to Avery County, NC. One of their most-known tunes is 'Remember Me.' 

Traditional North Carolina music and Appalachia has deep roots that belong to many family trees. In this episode, we uncover the musical history of the Shuffler Family. Music featured in this episode includes: Doc and Merle Watson, "Going Down This Road Feeling Bad" Earl Scruggs and Flatt and Scruggs, "Nine Pound Hammer" Valdese Quartet, "Just Over The Glory Land" The Stanley Brothers, "The Flood" Jim Shumate and John Shuffler, "Katie Hill" To learn more about the musical families of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Citizen Vinyl is Asheville's own vinyl record-producing facility. It lives in the former Citizen-Times newspaper building.  The historic building was designed and built in 1938-1939, and it became the home for two newspapers and a radio station. In 2019, Citizen Vinyl moved into the first floor, mezzanine, and third floor to create spaces for recording and manufacturing space, as well as an event area with a small bar/cafe and shop.  Listen to this full episode for the full history of the recording space and radio station.Music featured in this episode includes: Jimmie Rodgers, "Away Out on the Mountain" Bill Munroe and the Bluegrass Boys, "Mule Skinner Blues" Mainer's Mountaineers, "Concord Rag" Jim Lauderdale, "My Carolina Sunshine Girl" To learn more about music along the Blue Ridge Music Trails, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

The Junior Appalachian Musicians program, more commonly known as JAM, is an after-school program for primarily grades 4-8, with some students carrying on afterward as mentors. The program began in Sparta, NC, with the Alleghany JAM in 2005 to bring music into the school systems and continue to educate students in traditional Appalachian music and instruments. Supported by the NC Arts Council and others, the program is now a successful non-profit program across seven states with 65 affiliates and 205 teachers: West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Music featured in this episode includes: Steve Kilby, "Forked Deer" American Heart Strings, "Lonesome John" Strictly Strings, "Cindy" The Burnett Sisters Band, "Cumberland Gap" Cary Fridley and Travis Stuart, "A Rovin' on a Winter's Night" Carley Arrowood, "Dear Juliana" To learn more about JAM, visit JAMKids.org and BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

We had such a great time talking with Marc Pruett about his musical career that we found ourselves with a longer story. In this second episode, we look back at some of his early influences, the well-loved Bill Stanley's BBQ, and the birth of Balsam Range. 

Marc Pruett is known for his spectacular three-fingered style of banjo playing and his winning smile! He's also one of the founding members of the bluegrass band, Balsam Range. Marc sat down to share some stories, discussing his life in Haywood County and his musical career that has led to different areas of the world. 

Most people know Andy Griffith as the loveable sheriff of Mayberry, the town based in Mount Airy, NC. Beyond the role, Griffith was a musician and entertainer who shared his knowledge and love of traditional music with his audiences. 

Donna Ray Norton and Melanie Rice are eight-generation ballad singers. Along with noted musician Sheila Kay Adams and other local singers, they host a monthly ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail in downtown Marshall, NC. The event has gained notoriety as the only recurring ballad swap in the area, bringing awareness of the traditional music genre to a broader audience.

Tropical storm Helene devastated communities across Western North Carolina including Chimney Rock in Rutherford County, Swannanoa and Barnardsville in Buncombe, Crossnore in Avery, Old Fort in McDowell, Spruce Pine in Mitchell, and Hot Springs and Marshall in Madison to name a very few.This is not the first time that mighty waves of water have rolled through the region, causing devastation beyond comprehension. Singers and songwriters marked past events with songs, and it's likely the same will happen now.

America has seen its fair share of outlaws throughout history. Musicians have sung their tales, immortalizing them in song from coast to coast and contributing to this country's folklore. North Carolina has a page in outlaw history with the bootlegger Otto Wood. Listen to learn more about Wood and others and the songs they inspired. 

Rare Bird Farm in the mountains of Madison County is an agricultural arts center that hosts performing arts, classes, workshops, and community events, all centered around the ideas of creativity, connection, and collaboration. While not a commercial farm, Rare Bird also raises animals, medicinal plants, and food. We spent some time with Mitchell Davis and Farrah Hoffmire or Rare Bird to learn more.

An intersection of the natural and musical heritage of WNC can be found in the high mountains. Red Spruce (picea rubens) is prominent at altitudes above 5,000 feet in the Southern Appalachians. It's also one of the primary tonewoods used in traditional construction of mandolins and guitars. For this episode, we spent time with conservationist Marquette Crockett and luthier James Condino to learn more.

Traditional music in WNC is a cultural practice that expands into many ways to make a living. We most often think of performers, but for every live music event that takes place, there are folks behind the scenes crossing “I's” and dotting “T's” to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. One of the leaders in the event promotion industry is Claire Armbruster who owns and operates Planning Stages. We sat down recently with Claire to learn more about her, her experience, and the particulars of producing live music events.

Rhonda Gouge has done a lot. She's been a fixture in the Mitchell County music scene since the 1970s, she can play at least a dozen instruments, she's recorded multiple albums under her own name as well as with others, she's performed with legendary musicians such as Red Wilson, she's taught traditional music to more than 1,000 students, and in 2023 she was awarded the North Carolina Heritage Award. We sat down recently with Rhonda in her home teaching studio in the Ledger Community to talk about her musical journey and to do a little bit of pickin'!

In Season One of Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC, we introduced you to banjo stylist Charlie Poole. In Season 5, we're excited to bring you a reading of Louise Wright Price's children's book, Charlie & His Banjo: The Story of Charlie Pool. 

What do you get when an MD and Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Surgery takes up the banjo? An expertly conducted survey of 32 WNC banjo players! Dr. William Allsbrook, Jr. turned his skills and attention to such a project when he noticed just how many great banjo players lived in Haywood County. His study resulted in a book, Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County. In this episode, we dig into some of what Allbrook's book has to offer.

Western North Carolina musical icon Betty Smith passed away on December 1, 2023. Betty was a performer of ballads and traditional songs for decades, but to say only this would be falling short of her large and living legacy. Throughout the course of her life, Betty also took on roles as an educator, an activist, an author, a playwright, and honorary doctorate recipient, and more. This episode looks back on a life of impact on and dedication to the people and life and WNC.

Madison County is home to a centuries old ballad singing tradition which has attracted interest for over a century. In 1916, Englishman, Cecil Sharp traveled to Western North Carolina to hear the old ballads that were no longer being freely sung in England. A new album revives this Transatlantic connection. We sat down with Thomm Jutz, singer-songwriter and co-producer of Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry, to learn more about the album and the ballad singing tradition.

Terry Roberts was born and raised in Asheville, NC. An award-winning author of five novels, much of Terry's writing takes place in and around the mountains of WNC. Music finds its way into much of Terry's work, including novels entitled A Short Time to Stay Here and That Bright Land. In our conversation with Terry, he shared his thoughts on particularities and the intersection of writing, music, and storytelling in the mountains.

In Seasons 4 and 5, we've had the honor and privilege to bring you stories of the Blue Ridge Music Trails' Fine Tuned project. This mentorship and collaboration-based professional development project has sought to foster development in WNC's traditional music ecosystem. This episode explores the musical partnerships and the music they created with insight into the groups and selections from the tracks on the album. It's time to talk about the actual music of Fine Tuned: Volume One!

Plott-Tober fest is a new festival set to take place in Canton in 2023. This festival celebrates North Carolina's State Dog, the Plott Hound, as well as the German heritage of Haywood County. We spoke with festival organizer Bob Plott to learn more about the Plott Hound, German influence in Haywood County, and the festival itself, which will feature plenty of WNC traditional music. 

Music inhabits its purest form when people get together to make music with one another. In this spirit, the fiddlers' convention is an essential element of the traditional music ecosystem in Western North Carolina. This episode is adapted from an article by music writer Derek Halsey revisiting a newspaper article from the Watauga Democrat published on June 14, 1928 covering a fiddlers convention in the town of Blowing Rock. 

The Cherokee Language Repertory Choir started in the spring of 2023. This choir uses the Christian Harmony shaped note tradition, but instead of singing it traditionally, in English, this choir sings in the Cherokee language. This effort revives a documented tradition of shaped note singing in the Cherokee community while helping to keep the Cherokee language a part of cultural practice in Western North Carolina. We spoke with organizers and a member of the choir to learn more.

The Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville presents a wide range of programming. It's Songwriters Series is a highlight of the lineup. Hosted by local songwriter Rob Tiger, the series brings some of the top songwriters in the field to Clay County. The Showcase functions as a songwriters round, giving some audience members a new way to experience uniquely crafted songs.

Kelley Breiding is a musician who wears a lot of hats, at least one of which is often a cowboy hat and complements a vibrant, handcrafted outfit. Kelley is part of multiple bands and projects including her Blue Ridge Opry and the Blue Ridge Music Trails' Fine Tuned project. This episode features a conversation with Kelley in which you can learn more about her journey and the music she makes and loves.

Did you know that Black Mountain had an integrated juke joint and that Bessie Smith performed there? On this episode we feature an oral history with Katherine Debrow, courtesy of the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, that discusses her grandfather, Horace Chambers Rutherford; his juke joint, Roseland Gardens; and the culture and history of Black Mountain.

The Blue Ridge Music Trails covers 29 counties throughout the mountains and foothills of Western North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkways runs directly through this territory and is never far from authentic traditional music. In this episode, we outline more of the stops you can take on the Blue Ridge Music Trails while you travel the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

The Blue Ridge Music Trails covers 29 counties throughout the mountains and foothills of Western North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkways runs directly through this territory and is never far from authentic traditional music. In this episode, we outline some of the stops you can take on the Blue Ridge Music Trails while you travel the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

Darren Nicholson has been a fixture in the WNC and national music scenes for almost two decades. The year 2023 marks a series of new endeavors for Darren. In this episode he talks about learning from Steve Sutton, the inaugural Steve Sutton Festival, WNC's unique style of bluegrass, and his own path as a solo musician.

The Blue Ridge Music Trails' Fine Tuned project is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. This episode focuses on the Josh Jones' work with his mentor Sav Sankaran. Josh studies classical voice at the UNC School for the Arts. Sav also studied classical voice and today sings and plays bass for the nationally touring bluegrass band Unspoken Tradition. Josh and Sav share details about their mentorship experience, their thoughts on music in Western North Carolina, and the tracks they chose to record for the Fine Tuned album. 

The Blue Ridge Music Trails' Fine Tuned project is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. For this episode, we spent time with Bayla Davis and her mentor, Cary Fridley, to learn more about their work together. These two women have worked together to blend their voices, to explore strategies to enhance their personal expression, and to refine their musical goals for the future.

Fine Tuned is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. In this episode, David LaMotte and Benjamin Barker talk about why they play music, music in North Carolina, what they have gained from working on the Fine Tuned project, and more. 

The Blue Ridge Music Trails' Fine Tuned project is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. For this episode, we sat down with the Allen Boys, DaSahwn Hickman, and Kelley Breiding to discuss their collaboration and the inspiring collision of their musical traditions.

Fine Tuned is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. Jarrett Wildcat and Keaw'e Bone are are both deeply connected with traditional music in Cherokee, NC, but for their work on the Fine Tuned project, Jarrett and Keaw'e decided to do something a little different, create their own original music.

Fine Tuned is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. Fine Tuned has brought together five groups of musicians to work together on personal goals and professional recording.

We're coming to you this week to answer an age-old question: is it a fiddle or a violin?Few folks in Western North Carolina are better equipped to answer that question than master fiddler Roger Howell. At his shop on Banjo Branch just outside of Mars Hill, he has not only recorded more than 600 fiddle tunes for his memory collection, but he also repaired and restored hundreds if not thousands of old violins.

Bobby Hicks is a fiddling icon. His career as a recording artist and performer has spanned more than 7 decades. During this time, Bobby's style, session work, and touring have helped to define the bluegrass fiddle. We sat down with Bobby to chat about Western North Carolina, his time with Bill Monroe, and much more.

Donna Ray Norton is no stranger to the musical community of Western North Carolina. She's an 8th generation ballad singer who grew up in the legendary Sodom community of Madison County, a county which folklorist Cecil Sharp likened to “a nest of singing birds.” Her grandfather was Byard Ray, a fiddler and singer who took his style of mountain music across the globe. Her mother, Lena Jean Ray, carried on the Ray musical legacy. We sat down with Donna Ray to learn more about her new album, her background, and what the music means to her.

Earl Scruggs hailed from Flint Hill in rural Cleveland County. In his decades-long career he helped define bluegrass music as we know it today. The Earl Scruggs Center, in partnership with WNCW, the Tryon International Equestrian Center, and Come Hear North Carolina, will present the inaugural Earl Scruggs Music Festival in September 2022. The Blue Ridge Music Trails paid a visit to the Scruggs Center in Shelby, where we spent some time with Executive Director, Mary Beth Martin, and JT Scruggs, nephew of Earl, to learn a little more about the festival.  JT shared a little about the musical Scruggs family.

The 51st Smoky Mountain Folk Festival.  returns to the shores of Lake Junaluska in Haywood County this August. Now in its 6th decade, the festival coincides with a time when communities would gather at harvest time to share music and dance. The festival welcomes an outstanding array of the region's finest tradition performers including fiddlers, banjo players, string bands, ballad singers, buck dancers, and fabulous square teams as well as the unique sounds of dulcimer, harmonica, mouth harp, bagpipes, and even spoons.

If well-constructed and properly cared for, an instrument will outlive generations of musicians that play it. Many of the instruments that have influenced our music still sing long after their owners have gone on. The Southern Appalachian Archives in the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University hold some of the most well-known instruments from our musical past. Take a listen.

Carl Sandburg dedicated the American Songbag, “To those unknown singers–who made songs–out of love, fun, grief–and to those many other singers–who kept those songs as living things of the heart and mind–out of love, fun, grief.” It is fitting that so many carried on this important work begun by the old troubadour and poet of the people.

The imprint of Western North Carolina's vibrant musical tradition can be seen and heard time and again as our music has worked its way into the arena of popular culture. From the moment Jed Clampett spotted that bubbling-crude through the current decade, the soundtrack of the mountains and foothills has been the soundtrack for countless television, movie, and radio programs.

The history of Western North Carolina has long been a subject of study for local and international scholars. Many of those efforts have been focused on only a portion of the culture and experience of the region. With its exhibit Jagged Path: The African Diaspora in Western North Carolina in Craft, Music, and Dance, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, or BRAHM, is working to provide a fuller picture of creativity throughout the history of Appalachia.

Originally from Connecticut, Derek moved to Elk Park, NC in the spring of 2022 to continue exploring the singing traditions of the Bare family and the communities throughout Western North Carolina. With his work collecting and sharing these recordings, Derek is helping to shine a light on the stories and songs of a noteworthy community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina

Billy Edd Wheeler came to North Carolina from the coal camp of Highcoal in West Virginia.  As a boy, he began playing guitar and penned his first song “Paper Boy Blues,” about delivering newspapers at 5:30am, at the age of eleven. His archtop Kay guitar was purchased for fourteen dollars out of the Sears and Roebuck catalog. He learned three chords from a coal miner and as they say, the rest is history.