This text appeared originally on Medium.com as part of the series "Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem in the Old North State." See the whole post with sources here.
Story by Mike Coffey of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Archives and History Office.
The Ballad of Naomi Wise
John Coltrane, the master of the saxophone, was born September 23, 1926 to John R. and Alice Blair Coltrane, in Hamlet, North Carolina, in the rural, red clay farming region near the South Carolina state line. His grandfather was Reverend William Coltrane, a prominent African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) minister in Hamlet.
Lauded as one of the most formidable guitarists and vocalists in music today, Warren Haynes is a prolific songwriter and producer known for genre-blending, his work with three of the greatest live groups in rock history – Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule and the Dead – and an ongoing acclaimed career as a solo artist. Haynes grew up in Asheville, N.C. and lives there today. An internationally beloved musician, his artistry has led to thousands of memorable performances, multiple GRAMMY nominations, and millions of album and track sales.
The gospel singer, historian, and educator has a voice and a presence that demand attention. Williams captured the hearts and minds of people across our state and region who’ve witnessed her chronicle the history of the Civil Rights movement through song.
Born and raised in Garner, N.C., Williams grew up spending summer with her grandparents in Smithfield, N.C. Music was an integral part of her daily life – her father was a quartet singer and her grandmother was always singing.
A historical milestone in the history of North Carolina music occurred the week of August 24, 2019. Che Apalache’s second CD, Rearrange My Heart, debuted on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums Chart at #3. Joe Troop, leader and fiddle player with Che Apalache, is from Winston-Salem, and his bandmates—Pau Barjau (banjo), Franco Martino (guitar), and Martin Bobrik (mandolin)—are from Argentina and Mexico.
Musicianer noun A musician, one who plays an instrument. "...1940 Simms Wiley Oakley, 34. Wiley [Oakley] is extremely fond of music. He feels certain that he would have "been a real musicianer" if musical instruments to play upon had been available in his young days.
“Musicianer.” Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English, 1st ed., The University of Tennessee Press, 2004, p. 405.
Ella May Wiggins was born in east Tennessee in 1900 and spent her early life on tenant farms and in lumber camps. She married a man named John Wiggins in 1916, and the couple soon left the mountains for Cowpens, South Carolina, a small town in the South Carolina upstate where Ella worked on a farm and later in her first textile mill.
The Hamiltones are a Grammy-nominated trio of North Carolina natives. The soul and R&B group first started as background vocalists for Grammy-winning soul singer Anthony Hamilton, who is from Charlotte, N.C. Known for their masterful harmonies and viral social media videos, The Hamiltones released their debut EP "Watch The Tone3s" this year. We spoke with the band about their special chemistry and North Carolina musical influences in an interview captured after their 2019 Art of Cool Festival performance. Watch below!
Nina Simone’s first musical love was Johann Sebastian Bach.
In her autobiography, I Put a Spell on You she noted that Bach “is technically perfect… Each note you play is connected to the next note, and every note has to be executed perfectly or the whole effect is lost. Once I understood Bach’s music I never wanted to be anything other than a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music.”
Billy Edd Wheeler says a good song just grabs you from the start. He would know.