Did you know that back in the 1930s, record companies cut more discs in Charlotte than in Nashville? Explore that toe-tapping history in a concert program by the Kollard Kings stringband at the Earl Scruggs Center in downtown Shelby on Saturday August 15 from 2:00 to 3:30pm.
The landmark sessions in Charlotte included the first recordings by the "Father of Bluegrass" Bill Monroe. Dr. Tom Hanchett, historian at Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, will tell the stories behind those records, as well as others by the legendary Carter Family, Grand Ol' Opry star Uncle Dave Macon and more.
The Kollard Kings stringband specializes in songs from the Charlotte sessions. The band features singers Donny Murray on guitar and Tom Estes on banjo, plus Hanchett on fiddle and Mike Plumley playing doghouse bass.
A song from Bill Monroe's Charlotte sessions, "Feast Here Tonight," provides the title for the current temporary exhibition at the Scruggs Center, a lively exploration of Southern food traditions. Expect a plentiful helping of food themed songs on the Kollard Kings' set list.
At 5:00pm the Kollard Kings will take the stage on the Courthouse lawn outside the Scruggs Center to host an evening of community music in the series "Pickin' on the Square," free and open to the public. Visitors are invited to buy dinner from the restaurants surrounding the Square or pack a picnic to eat under the trees.
The Earl Scruggs Center: Music & Stories from the American South is located in the handsomely restored Courthouse in the heart of downtown Shelby, N.C. Exhibits on the life and influence of the noted pioneer of bluegrass banjo Earl Scruggs carry visitors back into the history of the small town South.
The 2:00 pm program with the Kollard Kings is free with Center admission. Call the Earl Scruggs Center at 704-487-6233 or register online at EarlScruggsCenter.org to reserve your seat.
Please call or register online. earlscruggscenter.org 704-487-6233.
The Center is free to Cleveland County residents with valid ID on Wednesdays. Regular hours of operation are Wednesday 10 am-6 pm, Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm and Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm. Learn more about the Earl Scruggs Center: Music & Stories from the American South and upcoming events and programs by calling 704-487-6233 or visiting www.earlscruggscenter.org.
The Earl Scruggs Center is a project of Destination Cleveland County, Inc., a non-profit 501©3 whose mission is to unite our county's history, heritage, culture and arts to create a vibrant economy while embracing the future and preserving the past.