Kinney Rorrer Appreciation Night to Be Held Sunday, July 16th

Kinney Rorrer

The Roanoke Valley Chapter of Friends, Blue Ridge Parkway are hosting a Kinney Rorrer Appreciation night on Sunday, July 16, in conjunction with their every Sunday evening music program.

Kinney Rorrer has been the voice of the National Public Radio Sunday afternoon radio show Back to the Blue Ridge since 2001.  WVTF is changing the 89.1 radio format to all news.  Music will be available on 89.5 at a lower frequency that will not reach beyond the Roanoke area. Rorrer’s last show, Back to the Blue Ridge was broadcast on WVTF 89.1 National Public Radio and heard on Sunday, July 10, 2017.

Rorrer is also a nationally recognized author, professor, consultant and authority on the origins and history of old time Appalachian country music.  He has interviewed today’s makers of Appalachian music and shared early recordings of many legends that most only know by names.  Kinney has increased awareness and appreciation of traditional Appalachian music through his personal appearances playing and teaching workshops.

The special evening on Sunday July 16th will begin at 6:00 PM instead of the regular 7:00 PM start time.  Judy, Henry and Jack are the scheduled group.  They will be joined by Kinney and other local musicians.  Eddie Wheeler will open the program.  Roanoke City will be offering a proclamation.

Attendees are requested to provide words of appreciation and congratulations.  All correspondence will be collected in a folder and presented to Kinney during the evening.

Directions from Roanoke:  Take Walnut Avenue up the Mountain.  Go straight past the turn to the star.  Continue 3/4 miles  past the Entering the Blue Ridge Parkway sign.  The day use area will be on the right.

Guests are encouraged to carpool.  Come early and bring a picnic dinner.  Sites are available with grills and picnic tables.  Bring a chair/blanket to enjoy the music. 

 

 

 

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a motor road through the heart of the Appalachian Mountains.  Much of the charge of the National Park is to tell the story of the people and their way of life in the mountains.  Music was family entertainment.  The ballads told stories from the old country and talked about joys and challenges of mountain life.  Without Kinney Rorrer collecting the knowledge of the people much of what we know today as ole time music, Appalachian Music, would be lost.

 

Kinney’s monumental work accurately reflects the music of the past and helps encourage the continuation of Appalachian Music.

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