Tommy Hunter - Amazing To Watch Asheville Bluegrass Festival In The 1950s

You are watching a portion of a documentary that I made on Bascom Lamar Lunsford, the great mountain music collector and festival founder. He created the first bluegrass mountain music dance storytelling festival in Asheville North Carolina back in 1929 as a part of the Asheville Rhododendron Festival. This clip shows some of those who performed at the festival in the 1950s.

When I filmed Bascom in 1965 (he was in his 80s), he was still running the festival and out seeking new talent. I accompanied him for several weeks as he did his work and each person he took me to meet turned out to be a wonderful musician, clogged dancer, storyteller, charming individual. Subscribers have commented on what to call this musical genre. Some say mountain music. Some say country music. Some say bluegrass music. Some say old-time music. Whatever you call it, I love it. So to millions of others around the world.

My documentary called Musicmakers Of The Blueridge aired on primetime television in 1965 garnered the cover of TV Guide. In the late 1980s, PBS The American Experience series asked me to go back and find out WHY Bascom Lamar Lunsford was so committed to his people and their music, dance, and storytelling. I found the answer and created another documentary. This is a clip from that documentary showing the Asheville Mountain music and Dance Festival in the 1950s. The Festival still goes on today.

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David Hoffman filmmaker