The Carolina Old-Timers String Band was formed early in 1996 to carry on the fine musical tradition of the Southern Appalachian region of our country and to help in some small way to preserve and perform the old tunes which were once part of the everyday life of the mountain folks. We are constantly reminded by people who enjoy our performances -people who are genuinely having a good time listening to our music- that we are performing a valuable service to our heritage in preserving these sounds and songs of a time long gone. And, in the process, we too are having fun! Isn't that what it's all about anyway?
The band has performed at a number of festivals, both regional and local, including:
Dona Cavanagh
Dona has been an important part of the Asheville music scene for the
last 20 years. A veteran of fiddle contests (including 1st place
fiddle at Asheville’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, ‘96) she
is also known for her fine “twin” harmony fiddling. A member of the
band Too Hot to Cook for many years, she is also a talented
singer and guitar player as well. Her fine recording of fiddle tunes
showcases her many talents. When not playing music, Dona works locally
as a nurse and plays with her dog Tanner (named for Gid Tanner of the “Skillet
Lickers”).
Jerry Sutton
From a family with musical roots that run deep in the mountains of
Candler, NC, Jerry’s father was the well known Asheville fiddler Grover
Sutton. His son is one of the nation’s hottest young guitar players,
Bryan Sutton, best known for his work as the guitar player in Ricky Skagg’s
band, “Kentucky Thunder”. A hot guitar player himself, Jerry is equally
at home on the bass, guitar or lead vocals. Winner of numerous awards
including 1st place guitar at the NC Mountain State Fair, 2nd place guitar
at the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and 1st place bass at Fiddler’s
Grove, he has played and recorded with the Hominy Valley String Band
and the Pisgah Pickers. An educator, he shares his
love of guitar with the students at the High School where he teaches history.
Bob Gregory
Bob has won several guitar and banjo awards starting back in 1967 with
Best Backup Guitar at the Topanga Canyon Banjo and Fiddle Contest and 1st
place in Advanced Traditional Banjo the following year. A native
of California, Bob was a founding member of several West Coast bands during
the late 1960s including the Atomic Steam Ratchet String Band, the
Hickory Stump Marsh Marmots, the Solid State Boys and
the Country Coalition. After residing abroad for nearly
two decades, Bob returned to the United States in early 1996 to settle
in the Southern Appalachians to be near the music he loves.
Carol Mallet
An early member of the Green Grass Cloggers professional
road team and their band, Carol has performed at festivals across the country
as well as in TV, radio and documentaries. A veteran of numerous
string bands including the Blue Ridge Serenaders (with Dick
Tarrier and Paul Herling) and the Wild Goose Chasers
(Rich Hartness and Joe Thrift), she has also toured extensively as a solo.
A great lover of fiddle contests, she won first place folk song at
Dublin, VA, 2nd place folk song at Mount Airy (2x), 2nd place guitar at
the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and many awards for flatfoot dance
and clogging throughout the years. Carol is a festival co-producer
(LEAF), writer and collector of
mountain songs and has recorded with Dick Tarrier as well as her own CD,
“Old and New from the Mountains”.
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