Lesley Riddle Recognized with Legacy Award

Traditional Voices Group is excited to announce that Yancey County’s favorite musical son Lesley Riddle (1905-1979) will receive the 2024 Legacy Award from Folk Alliance International for his “influence on the artistic direction of the Carter Family recordings by song catching with A.P. Carter and sharing the music from his African American contemporaries. The award will be presented on February 19 at the Folk Alliance International’s 37th Annual Conference at Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth in Montrel, Quebec, Canada. 

Folk Alliance International (FAI) is an international arts nonprofit and NEA-designated National Arts Service Organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1989, FAI membership includes artists, managers, agents, DJs, festivals, record labels, fans, and more. Its goal is to keep the tradition of folk music thriving through preservation, presentation, and promotion. For more information, see their website: www.folk.org

“We are thrilled,” says TVG president Ellen Denker. “One of our highest goals at Traditional Voices Group is to earn recognition for Lesley Riddle and his contributions to the foundation of American country music. This being an international organization with ties to the National Endowment for the Arts means that our efforts on Riddle’s behalf have been highly rewarded.”

FAI’s citation notes that “As a young man in Kingsport, Tennessee, he frequented a friend’s home where local and traveling musicians often socialized. A.P. Carter came to the house in 1927 looking for material. Impressed with Riddle’s knowledge and musicianship, they forged a creative partnership.” After collecting a variety of music and songs in the Appalachian highlands, Riddle and Carter worked together to create a body of work that propelled the Carter Family into country music royalty. Riddle’s contributions to their fame were forgotten until musicologist Mike Seeger uncovered his history with the Carters and brought his talents to public view.

FAI’s citation further notes that “In the 1960s, folklorist Mike Seeger asked Maybelle Carter about her distinctive guitar licks, and she told him about Riddle’s impact on her playing style.” Subsequently, many musicians learned her guitar-picking style and continue to favor it today. Thus Riddle’s influence is deeply felt in folk music history going even to the heart of its performance.

Traditional Voices Group, based in Burnsville, is a nonprofit cultural heritage organization dedicated to recording the traditions that are unique to the communities of the Toe River Valley. The purpose of their activities is to further scholastic pursuits, pride and unity of community and for present and future generations to understand the significance of what and how these areas have contributed to American culture.