Long before the last family departed, settlers in a remote corner of Yancey County gave their mountain town the name Lost Cove. Years later, the choice seems prophetic. The once-thriving community has returned to nature, tucked out of sight, lost to all except historians and hikers.
The First Family of NC Mountain Music
Doc Watson’s legendary flat-picking style helped define the sound of North Carolina. But he would’ve been the first to say that he was one link in a long tradition of folk and bluegrass. Raised in a musical home in Deep Gap, his influence branched out far beyond Watauga County, welcoming new generations of musicians into the fold.
Stories of Somerset Place
The beauty and tranquility of a former plantation in Washington County belie its fraught past. But Somerset Place is telling its history honorably.
An Our State Playlist: The Watsons: 40 Favorites
Forty songs that give a glimpse of Doc Watson’s life and legacy as an Appalachian folk singer, gifted musician, and pioneering flat-picker who created a distinctly signature North Carolina sound.
Coltrane’s High Point
The legacy of one of the world’s most influential jazz musicians has its roots in the Piedmont city where he grew up, which has finally embraced this 20th-century musical icon.
An Our State Playlist: The Roots of Jazz in North Carolina
Listen to our curated Spotify playlist featuring a selection of tunes by homegrown jazz legends and the modern musicians they inspired.
An Our State Playlist: Music Out of Chapel Hill
Gone to Carolina in your mind? Listen to 20 songs that represent this college town’s long-thriving music scene.
An Our State Playlist: North Carolina Mountain Music
The perfect background music for your fall leaf-peeping trip: Our curated Spotify playlist features a selection of 20 folk and bluegrass songs by North Carolina artists.
An Our State Playlist: North Carolina Folk Music
Take a deep dive into our state’s folk music with our curated Spotify playlist featuring 25 songs — from old standards to contemporary tunes.