Wayne Erbsen, Author
Musician, professor and writer Wayne Erbsen’s newest book, Smoky Mountain Music, contains a compilation of writings on Appalachian old-time and bluegrass music spanning decades.
Early on, Erbsen discovered a natural aptitude for music. After playing guitar for six months, he began giving lessons to others. While teaching banjo in the 1970s, he wrote the lesson book he needed for his class, printing enough extras to sell at music stores. “I ended up writing seven different books on playing the banjo, four books on playing the fiddle and five books on playing the mandolin,” he says. “Before I knew it, 40 years flew by and I had written about 38 books!”
He has also written around 70 articles throughout the years, and these are the writings contained in the book. “One of the things that makes my new book unique is the fact that I was able to interview many of the legends of bluegrass music,” Erbsen says. “In many cases, I was the first, and often the only one to interview them during their lifetime. These interviews are indispensable because they reveal the true, deep roots of bluegrass music.”
In addition to the musicians’ stories, the book contains an appendix of shorter narratives. “Here is where I put some lighthearted and humorous facts, jokes, tales and whimsy,” he says. “This book is for readers who share a love of old-time and bluegrass music and Appalachian culture.”
Southern Mountain Music, February 2025, Appalachian studies, softcover $39.95, eBook $25.99, by Wayne Erbsen, and published by McFarland, Jefferson, NC.
