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MHM Founder Joe Shannon Awarded The Order of Long Leaf Pine, To Be Recognized at Sunday’s Celtic Concert

MHM founder Joe Shannon has been honored with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Former Boone Mayor Wade Wilmoth holds the award with Shannon. Photos by Lonnie Webster
MHM founder Joe Shannon has been honored with The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Former Boone Mayor Wade Wilmoth holds the award with Shannon. Photos by Lonnie Webster

By Jesse Wood

March 10, 2014. Joe Shannon, the founder of Mountain Home Music, was recently awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is a prestigious award from the governor’s office of North Carolina. Former Boone Mayor Wade Wilmoth presented the honor to Shannon last week.

“The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state.  Contributions to their communities, extra effort in their careers, and many years of service to their organizations are some of the guidelines by which recipients are selected for this award,” according to the state.

Wilmoth and Shannon
Wilmoth and Shannon

In late 2012, Shannon was diagnosed with cancer and announced that he was stepping down from his role as executive director of Mountain Home Music, a nonprofit music series that began 20 years ago in downtown Boone to showcase the talent of local musicians. 

This coming Sunday, Mountain Home Music hosts an all-Celtic St. Patricks’ Day Benefit Concert on March 16 at 4 p.m. at the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in Blowing Rock to benefit Shannon. Strictly Clean and Decent, the Mountain Home Bluegrass Boys and members of The Forget-Me-Nots are to perform in Celtic tradition.

At the concert next Sunday, Shannon will be recognized for The Order of the Long Leaf Pine and organizers of the concert “hope you can be there to help us honor Joe for all the years of service to our community,” according to MHM press release.

A $20 donation per person is suggested and all proceeds go to Shannon to help with medical expenses.

See the release about the All-Celtic St. Patrick’s Day Benefit Concert here.

See an article about the legacy of Joe Shannon and the MHM transition here. Below is an excerpt of article.

Mountain Home Music Board Begins Transition To Continue Without Founder Joe Shannon

By Jesse Wood

Jan. 23, 2014. The Mountain Home Music board met on Wednesday to discuss the future of the nonprofit music series that held its first concert 20 years ago at Our Daily Bread in downtown Boone to a small, yet enthusiastic crowd.

With the blessing of MHM founder Joe Shannon, who was diagnosed with cancer near the end of 2012, the board pledged to carry on what will be Shannon’s legacy by finding someone to manage the music series for hopefully another 20 years.

“We all felt like Mountain Home Music was Joe Shannon. There was no question about that,” MHM Chair Ada Webster said on Thursday. “We all had the feeling that we wanted it to continue, but we would only do that with Joe’s blessing.”

In December 2012, Shannon found out he had cancer. While initial chemo treatments caused the cancer to stop spreading for about six months, subsequent treatments haven’t been as effective, and he’s fading fast.  

“The tumors are growing, and it looks like I am going to have to give up Mountain Home Music,” Shannon said on Thursday. “I am going to return to my family in Florida within two or three weeks.” 

Read Mountain Home Music Board Begins Transition To Continue Without Founder Joe Shannon

MHM host Joe Shannon recieves The Order of the Long Leaf Pine