By Lauren Stepp
If you live in these mountains and have ears, you’ve probably heard names like Samantha Bumgarner, Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs. These old-time musicians are celebrated for their profound impact on local music. But you might not be familiar with Lesley Riddle (1905-1979), a Black man who shaped the sounds that still echo through hills and hollers today.
Born in the Silvers Gap community of Yancey County, Riddle mastered the guitar in his mid-teens after losing his leg in an industrial accident. While recovering, he busied himself by learning blues and gospel numbers from his uncle, Ed Martin.
Lesley Riddle, right. Photo courtesy of Traditional Voices Group
Not a year later, he and Martin were bickering over a shotgun when the firearm discharged, blowing the middle and ring fingers off Riddle’s right hand. According to Ellen Denker, president of a historical association called the Traditional Voices Group (TVG), Riddle had to relearn how to play the guitar using only three fingers. This gave him a “distinctive style,” she says.
On a Sunday morning in late 1927, Riddle was picking strings in Tennessee when his unique sound caught the attention of Alvin Carter, patriarch of the legendary Carter Family.
“Thus began an unusual partnership,” says Denker.
In the coming weeks, Alvin and Riddle would roam the Southern Appalachian mountains, listening for songs to feature on an album. Alvin wrote down the lyrics, and Riddle memorized the melodies. Ditties like “Cannonball,” “Working on a Building” and “Hello Stranger” resulted from those long days on the road.
Riddle would also pass along his signature guitar style to Alvin’s sister-in-law, Maybelle Carter.
“The style is similar to the frailing style of banjo playing,” says Denker. “The Carter scratch, also called the Carter lick, has been widely copied and, as a consequence, has had a great impact on the performance of many types of music including country, folk, rock and bluegrass.”
Despite this widespread influence, Riddle never received recognition for advancing country music. TVG works to change that by hosting RiddleFest.
“RiddleFest is held each year as a way of remembering Lesley Riddle and honoring the legacy of his contributions to early country music—contributions that still resonate in American music today,” says Denker.
This year’s concert will open with a performance by Donna Ray Norton, an eighth-generation ballad singer hailing from Madison County. Joy Clark, a New Orleans singer-songwriter, will headline the event.
“…[W]e try to recognize young artists, Black and white, who are carrying on the musical traditions of the Southern Appalachians and those who show us the future of American music through traditional sensibilities,” says Denker.
Of course, the event also serves as a celebration of Riddle’s life and musical legacy because, as Denker notes, “we don’t want him to be forgotten again.”
RiddleFest 2024: Songs of Life and Love is slated for Saturday, October 19, at 7 p.m. in the Burnsville Town Center (6 South Main Street, Burnsville). Tickets for the concert are $20. Advance tickets are available through Eventbrite.com and the Burnsville Town Center (828.682.7209). Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Learn more at TraditionalVoicesGroup.com, on the group’s Facebook page or at Burnsville Town Center.
