ASHEVILLE—Passing an afternoon rocking on the front porch has long been one of the pleasures of the South. On Friday, Aug. 1, from 2-4 p.m. the tradition continues with a free performance on one of Asheville’s and the literary world’s most famous porches, the “Old Kentucky Home” of Thomas Wolfe.
Noted singers/songwriters Roger Howell and Richard Hurley will perform traditional mountain music and contemporary interpretations of country and folk music at the first in a series of “Pickin’ on the Porch” programs at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site.
A Mars Hill native, Roger Howell first began banjo picking at age 13 while growing up in Madison County. Howell also plays the dobro (a resonator guitar) and the fiddle, and can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1999 motion picture film “Songcatcher.”
Richard Hurley of Asheville is an accomplished guitarist, singer and songwriter. Hurley has recorded with Raymond Fairchild and master fiddler Arvil Freeman.
Visitors are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the performance. This is the first in a series of monthly traditional music performances at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial.
The goal of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site is to preserve and interpret the history of author Thomas Wolfe and his mother’s boardinghouse as depicted in his novel “Look Homeward Angel.” The state historic site is located at 52 N. Market Street in downtown Asheville. For more information about this event or the series, contact the memorial at 828-253-8304 or e-mail contactus@wolfememorial.com.
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial is part of the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such programs as “Telling Our Stories,” a yearlong celebration of North Carolina’s stories of struggle and freedom, memorable characters and colorful daily life. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call 919 807-7385.