Source: Wikipedia
Music of Appalachia
Located in the Appalachian region of the United States, Grayson County has long been famous
for its traditional music and musicians. Although the entire Appalachian region is known for its music,
the region around Mount Airy, North Carolina and Galax, Virginia is one of the areas where this music
has remained strongest, even among young people.
The Old Fiddler's Convention, one of the most prominent traditional music contests in the United States,
has been held annually in Galax since 1935. Grayson County is also the home of other fiddlers' conventions
and old time and bluegrass festivals such as the Grayson County Fiddlers Convention, Fries Fiddlers
Convention, and the Wayne C. Henderson Guitar Festival.
Notable residents
John Calhoun Dickenson (1815-1890), planter and politician
Henry Whitter (1892–1941) – early country musician
Wade Ward (1892–1971) – old-time country music banjo player and fiddler
Estil C. Ball (1913–1978) – singer-songwriter, fingerstyle guitarist, and country, gospel and folk musician
Wayne Henderson (luthier) – guitar maker and fingerstyle guitar player
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson - former editor of the Reader's Digest
Robert Kyle Poole - former Virginia state Delegate representing Wythe County
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This page last updated July 16, 2017.