Music of the Mountains | Visit Grayson County Virginia

Listen to the Legends. Explore the Crooked Roads. Discover the Music of the Mountains in Grayson County, Virginia.

Old-Time Music at its heart: the Music of the Mountains

“I honestly can’t remember the first time I heard these tunes or exactly how I learned them. They were just always there. Down here playing this music comes as naturally as breathing. I just feel so blessed I get to carry it on.”
Fries-native fiddler Eddie Bond, NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipient, Virginia Humanities

What is Old-time music?

Old-time music is a genre of traditional American music played on acoustic instruments in a string ensemble, typically consisting of fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and bass. Widely considered to be the precursor to modern Country Music, Old-time is one of the oldest forms of traditional American music (second only to indigenous Native American music). With roots stretching back to the British Isles, Europe, and Africa, old-time music reflects the diverse melting pot of American folk traditions.

Appalachian Folk & Old-Time music sprang from the isolated towns of the ancient Blue Ridge mountains, with sounds that mimic the rugged wilderness defining this unique region. Rollicking banjo and fiddle riffs weave together with the steady pluck of the bass and that ever-present guitar to create organic melodies full of memory and grit.

Here in Grayson County, Virginia, we are the proud home to multiple communities bursting at the seams with legendary musicians and instrument-makers who continue to bolster the tradition of Old-Time music today. To put it plainly, you won’t find a more authentic ‘birthplace of country music’ than the highest peaks in Virginia nestled away from it all in this hidden gem of the Appalachian Blue Ridge.

Wondering how you can tap into the magic music still gracing these ancient mountain valleys? Plan your next Appalachian adventure with old-time in mind at one of Grayson’s Fiddlers’ Conventions, Music Festivals, Community Jams, or by heading out down the Crooked Road.

Follow the Crooked Road…

The Crooked Road is a 330-mile driving trail through the mountains of Southwest Virginia that connects nine Major Venues and over 60 Affiliated Venues and Festivals that visitors can enjoy every day of the year. The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail is also a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization founded in 2004 whose mission is to support economic development in Southwest Virginia by promoting this region’s rich heritage of traditional music.

Learn more about the Crooked Road in Grayson County, VA

Listen to the Legends of Grayson…

Enoch Rutherford. Thornton Spencer. Wade Ward. E.C. & Orna Ball. Jessie Lovell. Evelyn Farmer. Donna Correll. Helen White.

These are just a few names plucked from a list of legendary musicians, luthiers, and community leaders hailing from the mountains of Grayson County, Virginia. Since 2021, the Legends of Grayson Old-Time Celebration has honored the rich musical heritage of these old-time greats through festivals, concerts, convention awards, workshops, and storytelling.