Evelyn Ramsey

Evelyn and Douston Ramsey: had a small tobacco farm in the deep mountains of Madison County.  Douston was the brother of the well-known Madison County singer and banjo-player Obray Ramsey.  Some years before my visit Evelyn had organized a small annual music festival, but after about three years it began to get out of hand, someone was stabbed during a fight, and the festival folded.

I stayed with Evelyn and Douston for a few days and really enjoyed being driven through the neighbourhood by them, listening to them singing and telling local stories.  They reminded me of something that Cecil Sharp had once said about the Hensley family of Carmen.  “My experience has been very wonderful so far as the people and their music is concerned ... I spent three days, from 10a.m. to 5p.m., with a family in the mountains consisting of parents and daughter, by name Hensley.  All three sang and the father played the fiddle.  Maud and I dined with them each day, and the rest of the time sat on the verandah while the three sang and played and talked, mainly about the songs.”  One ballad, collected from Rosie Hensley, was Fair Ellender and Sweet William, a version of which I recorded from Evelyn.

Part of the booklet notes, written by Mike Yates, to the Musical Traditions Records CDs Far in the Mountains (MTCD321-4)