Obray Ramsey

Obray Ramsey Was Born On The Banks Of The Three Laurels To A Western North Carolina Family Rich In Appalachian Tradition. From His Mother And Grandmother He Inherited His Basic Store Of Anglo-Irish-American Song. His Repertoire Includes Not Only The Old Ballads And Lyrics Native And Imported But Later Forms And Songs Distributed By Jimmie Rodgers The Carter Family And Other Early Hillbilly Entertainers. He Learned The Guitar As A Young Man But Usually Performed Without Accompaniment. He Seems To Have Completely Absorbed All He Has Learned Of Old And New Styles And His Performances Are Excellent Examples Of A Good Portion Of Appalachian Song Today. His Singing Often Echoes The Oldest Of Mountain Styles He Plays "clawhammer" Banjo Without The Flamboyance Of The "bluegrass" Performer He Is The Composer Of A Number Of Gospel Songs. Performers Like Ramsey Are Of Great Importance In Presenting Folksong Tradition To The "outsider" And Preserving It For Their Own People. read less