Recordings of Carolina singers

Subject: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 04 Mar 21 - 06:38 PM

Last October (can it really be that long ago?) I "attended" the ballad swap session at the Bascom Lunsford festival, and promptly acquired two or three new favourite singers; here's the list of performers.

Naturally I wanted to rush out - or at least rush online - and buy some CDs. This was easier said than done. I looked on Amazon (ptui!), Bandcamp, Discogs, I even tracked down a couple of record stores in Carolina - nada. I identified a couple of CDs as at least having existed, but nothing I could actually get my mitts on.

Anyone know where admirers of the singing of (e.g.) Donna Ray Norton, Joe Penland or Peter Gott can actually get hold of it in physical form? Or (I'm not fussy) anyone who sings the same kind of material in the same kind of style?

Subject: RE: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Mar 21 - 08:07 PM

Saw a used CD of Forks in the Road going for about $50 Canadian. It might be easier to reach her by phone or email.

https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/artist/donna-ray-norton/

Subject: RE: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Mar 21 - 08:28 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef4saPeI6mU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef4saPeI6mU

"Cowbell Hollow Stringband [1981] - The Peter Gott Family"

Hope that'll hold ya until you can locate the CD you want.

Subject: RE: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Mar 21 - 08:36 PM

http://www.joepenland.com/music1

I hope you have success regarding Joe Penland's CDs at that site.

Subject: RE: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: cnd
Date: 05 Mar 21 - 08:30 AM

This may also be of interest to you for Donna Norton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3cmXDf3anE

Here's a book and CD which she is featured in which discusses Blue Ridge Music Trails (book and CD can be purchased at that link). Additionally, the other CD which she is featured on can be found here: https://www.smokiesinformation.org/big-bend-killing-the-appalachian-ballad-tradition-2-disk-cd

Gott is proving a bit more elusive. He recorded (note: not performed) a CD for Folkways in 1963 titled Old Love Songs & Ballads from the Big Laurel, North Carolina. He doesn't appear to have any CDs available but there are several recordings on YouTube and several vinyls available secondhand, however, that appears to be it.

Subject: RE: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: cnd
Date: 05 Mar 21 - 08:34 AM

Or, more correctly, I should say, he recorded an album which is now available as a CD

Subject: RE: Recordings of Carolina singers
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 06 Mar 21 - 08:10 AM

Thanks all...

but...

still no luck. The Blue Ridge Music site is out of stock; the Great Smoky Mountain site doesn't ship outside the US; and Joe Penland is (or was) selling his CDs through CDBaby, which doesn't sell CDs any more.

I guess I'll have to contact the artists individually.