Home - Southwest Virginia Clawhammer Banjo Masters Map

WELCOME to our interactive map of SW Virginia Clawhammer Masters. Explore the roots of regional sound with over 50 entries of current and historical masters of clawhammer banjo.

Here you will find the lore behind the folks who shaped the sounds of old-time banjo playing in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Our mission is to help you understand the cultural, geographic, and musical elements that have contributed to our rich tradition of “frailing,” “rapping,” “knocking” or “bangin’” the banjo in our region since the 1840s

Bedford County

Rufus Kasey (8/3/1918 – 1/19/2001)

Huddleston

Rufus was a Black banjoist and business owner supplying used auto parts and towing services to his community. He grew up hard, yet persevered to become an important clawhammer master featured by the Smithsonian, Rounder and Folkway records.

Carroll County

Joey Burris (4/15/1963 – )

Hillsville

Proponent of the “Round Peak” style of playing and grandson of the great fiddler Otis Burris, Joey is the winner of countless competition trophies and an important preservationist of Round Peak playing.

Calvin Cole (3/4/1908 – 5/21/1992)

Fancy Gap

A self-taught drop thumb style banjoist, Calvin made an honest living logging with horses while passing his musical style to his children and grand-children. His band, The Rock Creek Ramblers, included his son Dewey and entertained many dancers and listeners throughout the local community.

Kyle Creed (9/20/1912 – 11/26/1982)

Galax

Kyle grew up in the Round Peak area of North Carolina later making his home just outside of Galax while becoming an expert wood worker and a prolific banjo builder/player participating in contests, dances and jams around the region.

Kevin Fore (10/7/1974 – )

Galax

Kevin is from the Round Peak area of North Carolina and currently resides near Galax with his wife Trish Kilby Fore. With perfect attention to detail, he builds Kyle Creed-style banjos and has won numerous clawhammer competitions.

Trish Kilby Fore (11/27/1978 – )

Galax

Growing up in Lansing, North Carolina, Trish has made her home near Galax with her husband Kevin and is deeply involved as a community organizer. She is a master of the Southwest Virginia clawhammer style with many blue ribbons from band and individual competitions.

Harold Hausenfluck (3/26/1952 – 7/9/2023)

Laurel Fork, Richmond

An influential teacher, music critic and musician, Harold was blinded at birth but overcame his disability to leave a profound mark on the banjo and fiddle styles of SW Virginia. He spent his life seeking the illusive “mountain whum.”

Abe Horton (4/11/1917 – 2/8/2004)

Fancy Gap/Laurel Fork

Preferring fretless banjos and a non-chordal style of playing, Abe was a “hoss” who provided solid rhythm and melody for dances in homes and local venues with The Pine River Boys and Maybelle.

Stella Kimble (1/23/1892 – 11/6/1982)

Laurel Fork

Born in Sparta, North Carolina, and later living in New York and Maryland, Stella primarily raised her family and played clawhammer banjo as time allowed. At age 76, she married Taylor Kimble in Laurel Fork, and together they became a banjo/fiddle duet playing elegant dance music in their home and community.

Sid Myers (10/25/1890 – 12/18/1972)

Five Forks

Representing the quintessential fiddle/banjo sound of the rural mountains, “Sid” (clawhammer) and “Fult” (fiddle) made sophisticated and danceable mountain music while living the old time way without electricity.

J. P. “Pres” Nester (11/26/1876 – 4/10/1967)

Hillsville

A farmer and switchboard operator, “Pres” was recorded at the Bristol Sessions with Uncle Norm and made music for local gatherings with iconic tunes such as Train on the Island.

Isaac Ogle (2/11/1886 – 8/1/1975)

Little Vine

Being overlooked by the folklorists in the mid-1900’s, Ike possessed the clawhammer sound to drive the dance; making his home in Southwest Virginia while raising 14 children with his wife Della, sharecropping, and working horses to eke out a living in the mountains of the region.

Roscoe Parish (5/16/1897 – 11/25/1984)

Coal Creek

Auto mechanic, farmer, fiddler and photographer, Roscoe learned a uniquely intricate clawhammer style from his father at an early age.

Rufus Quesinberry (11/3/1899 – 11/21/1961)

Laurel Fork

According to photographyer Marker Sanderford, Rufus once said, “Music comes from the gut”, which is to say he played from his heart and soul. Rufus was a regular with Uncle Norm and the Old Timers on the local radio station in Hillsville providing the clawhammer style essential for mountain music.

Manly (Adam) Reece (1830 – 1864)

Galax

One of the earliest known white clawhammer masters, Manly learned his style from Black players in the Piedmont. Though he tragically died at the age of 34, he left an indelible mark on banjo tradition in the Galax area.

Dorothy Rorick (2/13/1909 – 6/14/1980)

Dugspur

Descending from the Quesenberries of Dugspur, Dorothy learned clawhammer from her father “Buck” and became a formidible multi-instrumentalist with a beautiful, yet powerful voice playing in bands and festivals around the country.

Glen Smith (8/10/1888 – 2/24/1973)

Hillsville

Glen grew up on a farm, played fiddle and banjo, and became a sought-after clawhammer player, well known for his ability to create the hypnotic “whum” sound that drew in dancers and listeners alike.

George Stoneman (12/26/1882 – 3/23/1966)

Galax

Known for pioneering the “Galax Gallop”, George stayed true to the old time way while his family found fame within the music industry.

Dan Tate (11/3/1895 – 9/26/1990)

Fancy Gap

Dan serenaded Fancy Gap with old ballads accompanying himself with a haunting clawhammer banjo style and had an impressive dance tune repetoire. He was an interesting character tucked inside the mountain below Fancy Gap.

Dickenson County

Lucy Smith Stanley (8/10/1888 – 2/24/1973)

McClure

Along with her brothers and sisters, Lucy learned clawhammer at a young age and later passed on her music to sons Ralph and Carter Stanley. Steeped in Primitive Baptist harmonies and mountain living, she was a hard-working mother who endured many hard times finding solace in her family music traditions.

Ralph Stanley (2/25/1927 – 6/23/2016)

McClure

Although a world renowned Bluegrass figure, Ralph never forgot his humble beginnings, learning clawhammer playing from his mother, Lucy. Ralph included Clinch Mountain clawhammer playing in nearly every show he performed.

Floyd County

Jared Boyd (3/13/1996 – )

Floyd

Growing up in Laurel Fork, Jared now lives in Floyd where he selflessly teaches and continues to foster his passion for old time music. He is a master of the Southwest Virginia clawhammer style, regularly winning individual and band competitions at festivals around the region.

Mac Traynham (5/6/1954 – )

Willis

With encyclopedic knowlege of old time music, Mac is a prolific teacher, banjo builder and clawhammer player renowned for developing the “Mac Attack.” He is a regular performer of dance music and songs in Southwest Virginia with a powerful drive innate to his music propelling dancers to make the party last all night.

Dent Wimmer (12/19/1908 – 10/30/1979)

Copper Hill

A masterful player with a unique Floyd County attack, Dent learned many of his tunes from Black musicians in the county and developed a vast repertoire of local tunes.

Franklin County

Jimmy Boyd (8/20/1946 – 7/20/2025)

Dry Hill

Legendary moonshiner and clawhammer player for the Dry Hill Draggers, Jimmy lived life to the fullest providing music and drink to folks in the region. His stories and adventures are renowned for painting a vivid picture of a bygone era in these mountains.

Ted Boyd (8/24/1906 – 10/30/1991)

Endicott

The head of one of Franklin County’s most famous musical families, Ted is the originator of the rhythmic “Franklin County Bounce.”

Larry Sigmon (10/2/1947 – )

Callaway

Larry and longtime music partner Barbara Poole developed “The Unique Sound of the Mountains,” a banjo–bass duet that packed large dance halls and kept dancers moving all night, driven by Larry’s energetic clawhammer/singing and Barbara’s rhthmic bass playing. After Barbara’s passing in 2008, Larry has continued to fill dance venues with The Virginia Girls.

John Lawson Tyree (1914 – 1982)

Franklin

An important conduit of the early Black tradition of clawhammer playing in Franklin County, John’s recordings serve as a reminder of the “hidden history” of clawhammer banjo in SW Virginia.

Giles County

Maggie Rader (4/18/1899 – 4/25/1987)

Newport

Learning clawhammer on a homemade instrument built by her father, Maggie became a multi-instrumentalist while adding unique flavors of style to her banjo playing. The banjo became her “constant” throughout her marriage as her husband’s job as a sawmiller had them move 26 times.

Chris Via (3/24/1974 – )

Rich Creek

Dedicated to preserving the music of fiddler Henry Reed, Chris is a master at both the fiddle and clawhammer styles of the borderlands of SW Virginia and West Virginia.

Homer Walker (2/15/1898 – 1/4/1980)

Glen Lyn

The grandson of a banjo player born into slavery, Homer lived his life in the borderlands of SW Virginia and West Virginia and became a living archive of pre-industrial African American music in Virginia.

Grayson County

Jont Blevins (6/9/1900 – 9/7/1995)

Whitetop

Without a radio signal, Jont became the perfect companion to any Southwest Virginia fiddler with his solid banjo style in the isolated area of Whitetop Mountain. As a tobacco farmer, he worked long days and taught many students in the area, often trading farm work for banjo licks.

Ray Chatfield (1/2/1940 – 6/22/2022)

Galax

Teacher, mentor, and banjo enthusiast Ray Chatfield mastered the clawhammer style having played with local legends Tommy Jarrell, Greg Hooven, Benton Flippen, Eddie Bond and many others.

Vester Jones (2/12/1895 – 1965)

Bridle Creek

Born in a remote log cabin and an accomplished clawhammer player and singer by the age of 13, Vester learned to play from the talented Ward family and stayed true to the Grayson County sound.

John Rector (4/10/1877 – 4/10/1905)

Fries

While managing his family’s store in Fries, John hosted many musicians and mill workers while playing clawhammer banjo. John travelled to New York to record, first with Henry Whitter and later with “The Hill Billies” featuring Al Hopkins.

Enoch Rutherford (4/26/1916 – 11/28/2004)

Independence (Gold Hill)

With over 350 ribbons (65 blue), Enoch came from humble beginnings becoming a master clawhammer player recieving the gift passed to him from multiple generations of family musicians. He is representative of the hard working mountain man who ended the day by dancing and making music.

Emily Spencer (10/4/1952 – )

Whitetop

Emily sings and plays banjo with the Whitetop Mountain Band while teaching the local clawhammer style of her teachers Enoch Rutherford and Jont Blevins to students of all ages.

Wade Ward (10/15/1892 – 5/29/1971)

Independence

“Uncle Wade” came to music as a young child and became a regular performer at various community events. The Bogtrotters with Uncle Wade on clawhamer banjo won many competitions while entertaining countless audiences during his tenure.

Patrick County

Joe “Dad” Blackard (12/22/1858 – 7/24/1949)

Meadows of Dan

Educator and banjoist, “Dad” Blackard began mastering the banjo as a young child during the Civil War. Later in life he travelled to Bristol with the Shelor family to record several influential tunes as Dad Blackard’s Moonshiners.

Brien Fain (12/12/1971 – 4/18/2018)

Stuart

Winning all of the major clawhammer contests in the region, Brien posessed a knack for making non-dancers uncontrollably dance with his deceptively simple yet rich rhythmic and melodic style embodying the “mountain drive”.

Posey Foddrell (12/9/1898 – 12/19/1985)

Stuart

An important link to the history of Black banjo players in the region, Posey and his wife Alice raised a musical family steeped in the Piedmont Blues with a unique Patrick County flavor.

Calvin Pendleton (1/27/1907 – 12/17/1976)

Woolwine (Lone Ivy)

Tucked under Lover’s Leap in the Lone Ivy section of Woolwine, Calvin was part of musical family rooted in the mountain clawhammer tradition, driving an infectious dance beat while singing with a loud, raspy and emotional voice that echoed the travails of mountain living.

Pulaski County

Matokie Slaughter (12/21/1919 – 12/31/1999)

Pulaski

With a complex and powerful clawhammer style, Matokie played in family bands on the radio and for various community events as a young lady, later playing with her sister Virgie and Alice Gerrard as “The Backstreet Buddies.”

Roanoke County

Rhoda Kemp (11/13/1930 – )

Roanoke

A musical genius and originator of the “Rhoda Rake”, Rhoda descended from the rich mountain music of Meadows of Dan, became a lead member of The Original Orchard Grass Band while working hard to raise a family and passing her music on to her children, grandchildren and banjoists around the world.

Josh Thomas (1880’s – 1970’s)

Hollins

A fretless banjo player who was largely self-taught, Josh represents what musicologist Mike Seeger called the “African Virginian” clawhammer sound. He was competent at both older dance tunes and of newer Black blues tunes on the banjo.

Russell County

Johnny Osborne (11/21/1922 – 12/6/2009)

St. Paul

The son of the great old time fiddler “Uncle” Charlie Osborne, Johnny grew up steeped in SW Virginia musical tradition.

Scott County

Maybelle Carter (5/10/1909 – 10/23/1978)

Maces Springs

Before Carter Family fame, Maybelle learned to play clawhammer banjo from her mother Margaret Addington creating a firm foundation for future music endeavors.

Smyth County

Lawrence Russell (1/9/1918 – 2/27/2001)

Marion

Lawrence was not a showy contest player or someone who led “shows” of his music. He preferred to be a solid torch bearer of Blue Ridge playing. His rock solid playing influenced many, including clawhammer master Emily Spencer.

Hobart Smith (5/10/1897 – 1/11/1965)

Saltville

Multi-instrumentalist and acclaimed clawhammer master, Hobart descended from generations of musicians and was personally influenced by Black musicians of his community. He worked as a farmer, butcher and painter and was an entertainer in Southwest Virginia having been recorded by Alan Lomax.

Mildred Thompson (6/13/1913 – 4/11/1996)

Lick Creek

With her husband, Beverly, Mildred became a master of what is known as the “Lick Creek” sound. Her emphasis on melody while keeping a clocklike beat is remembered as comprising a sound that rivaled any of the masters of the region.

Debbie Grim Yates (6/24/1971 – )

Konnarock/Damascus

Being taught by Albert Hash and Emily Spencer, Debbie became a powerful clawhammer master and member of The Konnarock Critters with her brother Brian. The Critters possessed all the elements to energize dancers and listeners around the world thanks to the tight-knit family sound driven by her strong melodic banjo rhythms.

Wythe County

Giles Lephew (2/12/1927 – 10/18/1998)

Austinville

An individualistic clawhammer player who developed a unique style that incorporated both clawhammer rudiments and a flourishing “up” pick, Giles stood out in a crowded field of SW Virginia masters.