Many think country music began in Bristol, Tennessee, but writer Brad Campbell uncovers more to the story. In Asheville, OKeh Records recorded regional musicians playing ballads and other traditional sounds in 1925, two years prior to the Bristol sessions that shaped the trajectory for one of music’s most enduring genres.
A long-forgotten series of recordings from 1925 puts a new spin on the beginnings of one of our most enduring music genres.
Join writer Mark Kemp as he travels to western North Carolina to meet a luthier who crafts instruments with backstories as rich as the people who play them.
A luthier in western North Carolina crafts instruments with backstories as rich as the people who play them.
Join writer Mark Kemp as we turn up the volume on the quintessential sound of summer: beach music. In this episode, we meet the band The Embers, whose classic tunes inspire shag dancers across the state.
Since the late 1950s, a pioneering North Carolina beach-music band has returned to the coast year after year to perform classic tunes for shag dancers across the region.
Two brothers from Alexander County started a business that honors their hometown and turns plastic and wood into music-making art.
Five towns — plus unparalleled outdoor pursuits, artistic endeavors, and delicious provisions and craft brews — to explore on your next trip to western North Carolina.
Join Senior Editor Mark Kemp as he meets the band Grupo Vale during a quinceañero in Lincolnton.
