In 1916, British folklorist Cecil Sharp journeyed to the mountains of Madison County to document the area’s unique ballads. His collection of these historic songs has helped usher the oral tradition into modern culture.
Tag: ballad singing
Showing 1-2 of 2 results
Mars Hill’s Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival celebrates a folk hero
While many people wear multiple proverbial hats and dabble in more than one career, Madison County-born Bascom Lamar Lunsford epitomized that concept. A lawyer and a folklorist, the Mars Hill native campaigned against hillbilly stereotypes while preserving Appalachian mountain music traditions. A performer himself — his recordings are included in the Archive of American Folk […]