Lesley Riddle
Blues Guitarist Lesley Riddle Shaped Country Music
Episode Description
Country music came into the American mainstream with the Carter Family, but A.P. Carter relied heavily on African-American blues guitarist Lesley Riddle of Yancey County, N.C. In 1927, Lesley met A.P. in Bristol, Tenn. and helped the Carters collect the songs across Appalachia that would become country music classics. Now Burnsville pays tribute to the blues musician with annual Riddlefest.
The Podcast
The “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. Hosted by Laura Boosinger and produced by Kim Clark of WNCW-FM, the podcast is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the North Carolina Arts Council, WNCW-FM, and the American roots music journal No Depression.
