Old-Time/Appalachian

Much early Hillbilly music emerged from Appalachia, a mountainous region that stretches from northern Georgia all the way into New England. Southeastern Appalachia has a long, rich cultural history, much of it based on the English, Irish, and Scottish heritages of its early settlers. The bulk of the region long remained isolated from modern society, allowing distinct regional cultures to develop. As a result, there's no single Appalachian sound per se. Rather, several regions have developed distinctive musical styles. The Piedmont in North Carolina, home to banjoists Snuffy Jenkins and Earl Scruggs, is an important region; as is Galax, Virginia, which claims to be the old-time music capital of the world; the Clinch Mountains in Virginia, home to the Carter Family; eastern Tennessee, home to Roy Acuff; and West Virginia, which spawned such blues-influenced players as slide guitarist Frank Hutchison and banjoist Dock Boggs. In the '60s, Doc Watson and Hazel Dickens emerged from the hills and helped bring Appalachian music traditions to the attention of the folk music world. Contemporary artists as varied as gothic troubador Nick Cave, folk Singer-Songwriter Gillian Welch, and Grunge superstars Nirvana have used Appalachian tunes or traditions in their own genres.