Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition

The Appalachian ballad tradition is alive among a new generation of singers, most of whom learned their songs directly from oral tradition, either from older singers, or from recordings, or both. This Grammy nominated two-disc album, a project in support of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, features many of our artists from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory including Sheila Kay Adams, David Holt, Donna Ray Norton, Bruce Greene and Loy McWhirter, Bobby McMillon, Josh Goforth, Emma McDowell Best, Laura Boosinger and the Kruger Brothers. Learn more here.

Update (4/20/18): Big Bend Killing: The Appalachian Ballad Tradition was honored with the Jack Spadaro Documentary Award from the Appalachian Studies Association for the best documentary media project of 2017.