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

Dr. Ted Olson and Laura Boosinger continue to discuss the 1925 Asheville Sessions. Olson explains the influence the sessions had on artists and musical styles. Boosinger discusses the city's growth during 1924 and 1925. Heard in this episode: American and Spanish Fandango. Smith & Allgood Hard Times Come Again No More. Appalachian Roadshow To learn more about the music of North Carolina, visit...

In this episode, we dive into the backgrounds of some participants from the original sessions. It was reported that out of 300 applications, only 25 musicians were chosen for the original Asheville Sessions. Listen to learn about two of those musicians: James Dedrick Harris (fiddle) and Ernest Helton (banjo). Heard in this episode: The Cacklin' Hen. James Dedrick Harris Royal Clog. Ernest Helton ...

Something big happened in Asheville music in 1925.   A two-week recording session was held at the Vanderbilt Hotel. Musicians and groups performed traditional Southern Appalachian music. Afterwards, OKeh Records pressed and released a catalogue of records documenting a sound that many folks outside the region had never heard. The Asheville Sessions were revived in 2025 through a remastering and co...

Three luthiers have collaborated to create a guitar, which will be raffled off through LEAF Global Arts at the annual LEAF Festival, taking place from October 16 to 19, 2025. The guitar was crafted from wood harvested from trees that fell during Hurricane Helene. The luthiers: Jayne Henderson Kyle Landers  Judson Riviere All proceeds will support the Local Artist ReLEAF Fund, aiding Western North...

Part two of this special podcast delves into the evolution of the Folk School's programming with Bethany Chaney, the school's executive director. She explains the significance of its gradual shift in focus, encompassing music, dance, and craft.  Songs Included: The Little Devil, Jean Ritchie Dance Calling Morningsong with Riley Baugus Image credit: By Harrison Keely - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://...

John C Campbell Folk School is celebrating its 100th anniversary of music, dance, craft, agriculture, and foodways. Located in Brasstown, North Carolina, in Clay County in the Far West region of the state. Known for its exemplary selection of courses in handicraft skills, music, agriculture, and more, it is one of the most established folk schools in the United States. Dive into the history of the...

Jim Shumate was a fiddler who gained his notoriety in the 1940s when he played with some of the great musicians of bluegrass, including Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys, Lester Flatt, and Earl Scruggs. He added his flair to the songs of the time, emphasizing 'long-bow' fiddling, a style which he discovered listening to Arthur Smith from the Grand Ole Opry. John Miller (Shumate's grandson) and...

In 1975, Connie Regan-Blake teamed up with Barbara Freeman to travel and tell stories across the country. The women made a marvelous duo, strategically and creatively sharing stories from the past and present. Many Appalachian tales have roots in Irish, Scottish, and English history, dating back hundreds of years, while others were developed and shared in more recent times.  Learn more about Conni...

Storytelling can be found across cultures. It's been used to teach morals, share news, and entertain. In this latest episode of the Down the Road podcast, Laura Boosinger sits down with professional storyteller Connie Regan-Blake to share how storytelling jumped from personal circles (campfires, living rooms, and porches) to stages. Connie Regan-Blake is an award-winning storyteller, coach, and wo...

In this Down the Road episode, host Laura Boosinger interviews Brandon Johnson, the Executive Director of the Madison County Arts Council and the director of The Bluff Mountain Festival. Johnson explains how the annual festival began, when he became involved, and the importance of the music and community. To learn more about the Bluff Mountain Festival, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com and MadisonCounty...

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...

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 fe...

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 th...

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 arri...

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...

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...

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...

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 o...

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...

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.