Mars Hill University

« Back to Recent News

Bobby McMillon Legacy Project at Mars Hill University Will Continue Ballad Singer and Storyteller's Work

Mars Hill, NC (09/14/2022) — Bobby McMillion devoted his life to preserving the oral traditions of the Appalachian region. Although he died last November at the age of 69, his work will continue, thanks in part to the Bobby McMillon Legacy Project at Mars Hill University's Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies. The Ramsey Center received a South Arts "In These Mountains" grant to establish the project.

McMillon was a ballad singer and storyteller in Yancey County with encyclopedic knowledge of all things Appalachian. He left behind a rich and valuable collection of song and story transcriptions and recordings, ephemera from old-time musicians and festivals, and a desire that his friends "keep it going."

Through the $10,000 South Arts grant, the Ramsey Center will help keep it going. The center will work with traditional musicians to establish a multi-dimensional project centered around McMillon's vast collection of Appalachian songs, ballads, stories, and folklore. The project will include the creation of an accessible digital collection, artist residencies, a podcast, MHU student collaboration, and community performances.

Among the community performances is a Round Robin Ballad Circle on November 10, led by ballad singer Sheila Kay Adams and musician and folklorist William Ritter, both longtime friends of McMillon.

"We are so grateful to the South Arts In These Mountains Initiative for providing this funding to help preserve Bobby's materials and to make them accessible." said Leila Weinstein, project director of the Legacy Project and program coordinator for the Ramsey Center and MHU's Appalachian Studies academic program. "We think that this accessibility will mean that his legacy will inspire traditional musicians - both established and aspiring - for years and years to come."

McMillon was a fixture at MHU's annual Lunsford Festival ballad swap. He spent his life learning and collecting from tradition bearers all over western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and farther afield. When he passed away in 2021, he left behind a rich collection of notebooks and manuscripts of traditional ballads and songs, approximately 75 audio cassette tapes, 5 reel-to-reels, songsters, and other ephemera.

Weinstein and Karen Paar, Ph.D., university archivist and director of the Ramsey Center's Southern Appalachian Archives, are joined on the project team by Adams and Ritter. as well as dancer Rodney Sutton. They will catalog McMillon's extensive audio recordings in preparation for their digitization and further preservation.

"It has been so touching to be with Sheila, William, and Rodney as they've begun to look through the collections of their dear friend," said Weinstein. "It's a real labor of love."

McMillon learned songs and stories from relatives in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina when he was a boy, and by age 17-inspired by the Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore in the Lenoir Public Library and tutelage from Appalachian State University folklorist and professor Cratis Williams-began recording interviews and the old songs and stories of family, friends, and neighbors. He also began performing at festivals across the region.

The collection features tradition-bearers such as his great-aunt Mae "Maw Maw" Phillips (from whom he learned dozens of songs and stories), Watauga County's Ellison Family, Tennessee ballad singer Hamper McBee, and Janette Carter. The Legacy Project materials also will include more than 100 recordings of McMillon, himself.

About the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies:

The Liston B. Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University connects the campus with the wider community to explore the history, culture, and environment of the Southern Appalachian region. The Ramsey Center preserves and provides access to resources for this study through its Southern Appalachian Archives. The Center shares Mars Hill University's commitment to local and global engagement, to service, and to experiential learning. The Ramsey Center is a proud site on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

About South Arts

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture. Our mission: advancing Southern vitality through the arts. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee - with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation - South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs. South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.

About Mars Hill University:

Mars Hill University is a premier private, liberal arts institution offering over 30 baccalaureate degrees, as well as master's degrees in criminal justice, elementary education, teaching, and management. Founded in 1856 by Baptist families of the region, the campus is located just 20 minutes north of Asheville in the mountains of western North Carolina.

www.mhu.edu

Media Attachments

Sheila Kay Adams and William Ritter catalog recordings from Bobby McMillon's collection in the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University.

Bobby McMillon, photographed in 2018 at the Old Kona Baptist Church in Mitchell County, North Carolina. Photo by Leila Weinstein.

Copyright © 2024 Merit Pages, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Opt Out