1000 x 90

JSMHM Presents “Mountain Treasures” – Bobby McMillon and Glenn Bolick, October 18

Bobby McMillon

What a special treat for Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music to present “Mountain Treasures,” featuring Bobby McMillon and Glenn Bolick – two admired keepers of mountain traditional storytelling, ballads and songs! This JSMHM show is the final “Pay As You Exit” Matinee of its 2018 25th Silver Anniversary Season and takes place on Thursday, October 18th at the Harvest House in Boone at 2:00pm. Both McMillon and Bolick, along with Bolick’s wife Lula, are recipients of the two most prestigious awards for folk artist in their home state – the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award and the North Carolina Folklore Society’s Brown Hudson Award.

Bobby McMillon, is heir to numerous strands of Appalachian culture. From his father’s family in Cocke County, Tennessee, he learned Primitive Baptist hymns and traditional stories and ballads. From his mother’s people in Yancy and Mitchell Counties, North Carolina, he heard “booger tales, haint tales,” and legends about the murder of a relative named Charlie Silver. In Caldwell County, McMillon went to school with relatives of Tom Dula – the subject of the famous Kingston Trio Song – “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley.” He learned from Dula’s family the stories of the true history of the famous love triangle that led to the murder of Laurie Foster.

McMillon is considered by folklorist around the world to be walking encyclopedia of rare ballads, gospel songs, and Carter family recordings. Among his numerous performances over a long career, he was featured at the World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1982, the National Folk Festival in 2003 at the National Mall in Washington, DC and just this summer at a special ballad singing concert at the Library of Congress.

Glenn Bolick

Glenn Bolick lives between Blowing Rock and Lenior, NC just inside the Caldwell County line. He grew up surrounded by sawmilling, storytelling, and music, and today he carries on these three traditions. Bolick is also a potter who learned from his wife, Lula, whose Owens family Seagrove pottery tradition dates back five generations. The Bolicks have turned the family land into a sawmilling, pottery-producing, music-making, heritage homestead where they host numerous events. Bolick has that unique mountain ability to keep audiences riveted to their seats with his stories and music. He was the subject of a documentary by renowned videographer, Rebecca Jones, titled “The Saw Mill Man”.

JSMHM’s director, Rodney Sutton, spoke of the pairing of these two storytelling, singing and musical performers. “Bobby and Glenn have been friends for many years and when you put them on the stage together, their songs and stories seem to remind each other of ones they may not have sung or told for years, creating a one-of-a-kind performance that cannot be scripted. These two fellows are the real deal – true mountain men who take great pride in sharing the heritage of their families on stage through stories and songs.”

Private sponsors for this concert are Tony and Lynn Barbour. Business Sponsors include Mast General Store, Harvest House Performing Arts Venue, Mountain Time Publishing, and the High Country Press. Additional support is provided by Boone TDA and Watauga County Arts Council, and Grassroots Funds from the NC Arts Council. Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music is also proud to be included as a site on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina (BlueRidgeMusicNC.com).

The JSMHM Matinees are non-ticketed concerts with a suggested donation of $10. Please note – the JSMHM matinees run straight through for an hour and 15 minutes without an intermission. The show begins at 2:00pm and the doors open at 1:15pm. The Harvest House is located at 247 Boone Heights Dr. Boone, NC.

Directions and more info can be found at the JSMHM website – mountainhomemusic.org Please note – JSMHM has two more evening concerts scheduled in 2018, “A Celtic Christmas”, featuring Jamie Laval on Saturday, November 24th and “An Appalachian Christmas” on Friday, December 14th.