Clinch Mountain Music Festival News

Clinch Mountain MusicFest ready for return engagement

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 09:56:00 EDT

Republished from Kingsport Times-News
April 23, 2008
Written by Kevin Castle

GATE CITY — A marriage of mountain music, economic development and preservation of mountain lore all come together in June in the rich, historical old-time music of Scott County.

Officials with the Southwest Virginia Community Foundation announced the return of Clinch Mountain Musicfest for the second weekend in June and released a star-studded lineup for the three-day event to be staged at Natural Tunnel State Park, Jackson Street in downtown Gate City and the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons.

Old-time, bluegrass and gospel music acts will be featured at the gathering, including reigning International Bluegrass Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Rhonda Vincent and her band The Rage kicking off the festival at the Natural Tunnel Amphitheater on June 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, June 14, will see performances based inside two tents in Gate City, including a new “Pickin’ Tent,” where an impromptu jam session will be encouraged with those who bring their instruments.

The festivities continue later that evening at the Carter Fold, with J.D. Crowe and the New South the featured artist.

On Sunday, June 15, the event concludes with gospel music-based performances, including the Primitive Quartet.

Event coordinator Diana Meredith of the Kingsport Times-News said spinning yarns of yesteryear gets to the heart of what the festival is all about.

“In the days of my grandparents, life was rich, and it wasn’t measured by money. It was in the richness of the music they loved and the stories they told, and that is something that must be preserved for the future generations of this region. This is why we are putting this on,” said Meredith.

Gate City Mayor Mark Jenkins said the buzz around the downtown’s business district has been at full tilt since word of the MusicFest came to pass, and he welcomed the opportunity for his town to host such a historic gathering.

“I think residents and business owners alike are excited about what is going to happen. Last year when the music was here, people said it reminded them of the Gate City of old, with stores full and the streets crowded with people. It will be a source of excitement for us,” said Jenkins.

MusicFest steering committee member and Scott County Economic Development Authority Director John Kilgore says calls from South Carolina have been fielded from his office about tickets and what to do while they are in town for the shows.

“It is definitely an economic boost whenever we can host an event like this. People from all over will come, then they will tell others, which will bring more back. They will spend money in our stores and use other services, which brings an economic benefit from the music,” said Kilgore.

The MusicFest will have a special fund-raising raffle that will go to fund scholarships for area students, and it is based around the late A.P. Carter.

Kingsport guitar craftsman Tony Vines journeyed to the Carter homeplace in Maces Springs last year and secured a black walnut tree to help create a replica of the guitar Carter used.

The “Luthier Extraordinaire,” an instrument valued at $24,000, will be given away during the final day of the festival at the Carter Family Fold on June 15.

Only 2,000 tickets for a chance on the guitar will be sold at a cost of $35 each.

Steering committee member Jay Dixon gave the guitar a test strum during Wednesday’s event, plucking the old Carter Family signature “Wildwood Flower.”

“Listen to the depth of the tone of this guitar. ... It can also be used to play the blues,” said Dixon.

Tickets for the Clinch Mountain MusicFest will be $15 per person on Friday and Saturday, and $10 on Sunday, with children ages 12 and under admitted free.

Fairway Ford and Courtesy Chevrolet are the signature sponsors for the 2008 MusicFest. Co-sponsors are the Kingsport Times-News, Charter Media, WGOC, WJHL NewsChannel 11, Bryant Label, WETS and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

More details about the event are available through the Web site www.clinchfest.org or by calling 1-877-266-3303.

Clinchfest 2008 Press Conference - April 23, 2008

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:40:42 EDT

Tony Vines Recognizes A.P. Carter,

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:38:02 EDT

How does a gifted guitar maker honor the father of country music? Build a guitar in his name, of course. Tony Vines, Luthier Extraordinaire, from Kingsport, Tennessee has done just that, crafting a beautiful replica of the Martin guitar Alvin Pleasant (A.P.) Carter owned and used to write and arrange songs. But that is just the beginning of the story.

In 1999, Tony Vines decided that A.P. Carter, the "Father of Country Music," should be recognized with a guitar named after him. For A.P. Carter was the “brains” behind the original Carter Family’s success. He wandered the hills and hollers of Appalachia listening to, collecting and arranging songs passed down through the generations. He walked up and down the railroad tracks in Maces Springs, Virginia (now Hiltons), head down, hands clasped behind him, lost in thought about hardscrabble Appalachian life. He wrote and arranged songs about this life and his love of God. For him, the love of God and love of music could not be separated.

Tony Vines then met Joe Carter, son of A.P. Carter in Hiltons, Virginia at the famous Carter Family Fold, and they became fast friends. A year later, Tony introduced to Joe the idea of building a collector guitar to honor his father. Joe was enthusiastic, especially because Tony would build the guitar from a tree on A.P. Carter's homeplace.

Joe had a keen eye for spotting trees. In July 2001, he informed Tony he had found the “right tree,” a huge black walnut tree standing tall on the Holston River bank at Hiltons. A month later, they cut the giant tree, trimmed its gnarly limbs and let it air dry for thirty days. On September 11, 2001, they loaded the log onto a truck and hauled it to Jack Cunningham’s sawmill. They debarked the log, cut it into eight-foot sections and quarter-sawed it, keeping the grain vertical to make the wood stable. They put the log sections in a kiln dryer for thirty days, making sure it dried slowly and evenly to prevent case-hardening.

Then Tony sorted the beautiful black walnut boards, picking out the best quality boards for twenty to twenty-five sets of sides and backs for the A.P. Carter guitars. He stored the boards for six years, and has just built the first guitar in the style of A.P. Carter’s Martin. He is excited about this beautiful guitar for the music history it represents and its powerful tone. One can almost hear the deep vibrato of A.P. Carter's voice spilling out of the sound hole. Tony is also excited about offering this first A.P. Carter guitar for a Guitar Raffle for Clinch Mountain MusicFest (2008).

The guitar has a certificate of authenticity signed by Joe Carter and Tony Vines stating where the wood came from, an internal label signed by Joe Carter, and a photocopy of A.P. Carter’s signature taken from a deed to property he owned in Maces Springs.

Win a piece of Mountain Music History

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:47:38 EDT

Own a sacred piece of mountain music history as the Clinch Mountain MusicFest presents a special old-time Guitar Raffle.

With this expert replica of A.P. Carter’s acoustic guitar, built by luthier extraordinaire Tony Vines. This treasure is handcrafted from a black walnut tree cut down by Joe Carter (A.P. Carter’s son) and Tony Vines on A.P. Carter’s home place in Hiltons, Virginia.

Only 2,000 raffle tickets will be sold at $35.00 each for this beautiful guitar valued at $24,000. Tickets may be purchased by mail, on-line, or at the Clinch Mountain MusicFest (2008), June 13, 14, and 15, 2008. The drawing will be held on June 15, 2008 at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia.

To order raffle tickets by mail, complete the online form (you may also purchase online - see below) at www.clinchfest.net and mail the form with check, money order or credit card information to Clinch Mountain MusicFest Guitar Raffle, P.O. Box 519, Gate City, Virginia 24251. Upon verification, you will receive your tickets by mail. Mail purchases of tickets must be postmarked by midnight June 2 , 2008 to be eligible for the drawing.

Online purchases at www.clinchfest.net may be made by credit card. Click here to purchase your raffle tickets.

Welcome to the Clinchfest

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:37:08 EDT

The Clinch Mountain MusicFest is more than just another festival. It is about heritage, music, playing, singing, dancing and storytelling about life in Appalachia-from its early settlement until today.

Mountain musicians are storytellers, living and breathing the life of the mountains as they play the music. Come to the Clinch Mountain MusicFest and experience the unique heart, soul and spirit of mountain music with dozens of acclaimed national and regional artists at Natural Tunnel State Park, Gate City, Virginia and The Carter Family Fold, Hiltons, Virginia.

The musicianship is outstanding. All ages will enjoy the hand-clappin’, foot-stompin’, and flat-footin.’ This event inspires us to preserve and foster this rich musical heritage.

If you would like to be a part of this celebration of our musical heritage, we welcome you to volunteer your time. You can find a volunteer form here, and you can email our volunteer coordinator by completing this email form.