Friday Night Backyard Jamboree with The Unique Sounds of the Mountains
Venue: Floyd Country Store, Floyd
Organizations: Unique Sound of the Mountains with Larry Sigmon
Date: Friday, June 11, 2021
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Event Types: Music
Cost:

Description:
The Floyd Country Store continues the 2021 Friday Night Backyard Jamboree with The Unique Sounds of the Mountains with Larry Sigmon & Martha Spencer outside on Friday, June 11, 2021.

Larry Sigmon was born in Callaway, Virginia. His father, Lewis Eldridge Sigmon, was a locally beloved banjo and fiddle player. Larry taught himself harmonica as a child, and then moved to guitar, learning to play by backing up his father. When he took up the banjo at fifteen, it became his main instrument, and he developed a signature hard-driving, rhythmic style. Larry’s first band was the Sugar Hill Ramblers, a six-piece group that performed old time tunes and old country numbers for six years. He went on to play stints with Carl Scott and Richard Bowman until the late 1980s, when he met bassist Barbara Poole at a local fiddlers’ convention.

Larry and Barbara began performing together, winning countless ribbons in banjo, bass, and folk song competitions and playing at festivals, dances, and other concert venues. Their sound was so distinctive with just the banjo, bass, and Larry’s distinct singing, they became known as the “Unique Sound,” and gained a dedicated local following, particularly among flatfoot dancers. Larry and Barbara drew upon a repertoire of old time and bluegrass songs from Charlie Poole to Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe, making songs their own through Larry’s strong vocals and Barbara’s double-slap bass. Throughout their eighteen-year career, the duo performed at the Carter Family Fold, the Grand Ole Opry, and mountain music festivals throughout the South, becoming one of the most popular bands in the Blue Ridge Mountains until Barbara passed away in 2008 after a long struggle with cancer.

Larry had quit performing until old-time musician and advocate Martha Spencer arrived to interview him for her online documentary project, Mountain Music Magazine. During their interview, Martha encouraged Larry to play some tunes and the “Unique Sound” was reborn.

The Unique Sound of the Mountains now features Heather Krantz on guitar and vocals, Susan Blankenship on bass and Ashlee Watkins on mandolin, guitar and vocals.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/uniquesoundofthemountains/

Admission is free with a suggested donation of $8.00 in support of the musicians.

Join us on Friday evenings behind the Floyd Country Store for a live show with some of our favorite old time string bands! The Backyard Jamboree features one band performing for two hours starting at 6:00 pm.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets.

Seating opens at 5:30 pm and the music starts at 6:00 pm.

If you can’t join us live, check out the livestream on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/floydcountrystore/) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwib5-8QRlyxWgHI5TX1lUg).

No dogs allowed, no alcohol allowed.

For more information, visit: https://www.floydcountrystore.com/events/list/ or https://www.facebook.com/floydcountrystore or call 540-745-4563.