Explore various musical styles, musicians and music-related careers.
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Loyd “Slick” McGaha epitomized the essence of a traditional performer and nicely encapsulated the traditions of South Carolina as well. Slick learned to play “bones,” a traditional rhythmic technique...
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McCormick (McCormick County) realtor who was a musician prior to WWII. Interview conducted by Anne Kimzey.
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Master fiddler J.C. Owens learned from the best musicians in the South Carolina Upstate, his brother, Lonnie Owens, and the legendary Pink Cassels. Owens is a master of various fiddling styles native...
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Harold Vernon Riddle played the fiddle for well over fifty years. He was first exposed to the rural folk music of upstate South Carolina in the mill village of Glendale where he was born. He heard...
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Born and raised in a mill village in Converse, South Carolina, Gene Wyatt, or “Colonel Gene” as he was known on the music scene, first picked up the guitar when he was 10. From a musical family, Wyatt...
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Fernando Costro is a musician from Mexico, currently residing in Newberry County. He plays guitar and mariachi music with a local band, Mariachi Cabos. He learned how to play violin and guitar from...
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This native of Enoree claimed to have “been born with music in my blood.” He formed his first band at the age of 18 - “Claude Casey and The Pine State Playboys.” By 1938 they had recorded 10 songs for...
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Fiddler from Troy, SC (Greenwood County). Many of the songs he plays are short, so several are included here in their entirety. He is accompanied by Fred Watson on guitar and sister Fannie Creswell...
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Ashley Carder grew up in a home surrounded by music. His mother Shirley is a talented country singer and guitar player who performed often on regional radio in the 1960s and -70s. Carder’s extended...
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The South Carolina Piedmont has often been referred to as “The textile center of the world.” Alda Smith’s musical heritage is woven from the influences that migrated throughout the Piedmont during...