John Lilly is highly respected as a traditional musician,
songwriter and folklorist. He is accomplished on guitar,
mandolin, and bass. He sings and yodels in the style of Jimmie
Rodgers, accompanying himself with Carter-style guitar. He
has a vast repertoire of traditional tunes and songs learned
from old-time Appalachian musicians. He was a guide at the
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville and a
former member of the
Green Grass Cloggers. In 1992, he moved to West Virginia
to work for the Augusta Heritage Center. He is a co-founder
of Old-Time Music on the Radio to promote the broadcast of
traditional music.
John’s string band experiences include playing with the
legendary old-time, longbow fiddler, Ralph Blizard (our very
first Guest of Honor) and his band, the New Southern Ramblers.
John was a wonderful Guest of Honor who showed us that “A
Little Yodel Goes A Long Way”. Another of his original
songs, “Broken Moon”, the title of his first CD
garnered third place in the songwriting contest at the
2002 MerleFest.
He is currently editor of West
Virginia’s Goldenseal magazine and the editor of the book,
Mountains of Music: West Virginia Traditional Music from
Goldenseal.
Discography:
Broken Moon
John Lilly
JL-2000-CD
with Ginny Hawker on four cuts
Blue Highway
Ralph Blizard and John Lilly
Bh4591 – Cassette
Southern Ramble
Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers
Rounder
0352 - C
