In the Carolinas, bluegrass is more than music—it's a way of life. The origins of the genre date back to the earliest frontier settlements, and banjo music appeared at dances in Greenville, South Carolina, as early as 1780. The genre was essential to socialization in the textile mills of both states. Old-time music of the Blue Ridge Mountains heavily influenced the sound. Bill Monroe, considered by many to be the father of bluegrass, began his recording career in Charlotte in 1936. Many of the most popular bands, such as the Hired Hands and Briarhoppers, regularly performed live on local television stations in Columbia, Spartanburg and Charlotte. Today, bluegrass festivals fill local calendars across the region. Author Gail Wilson-Giarratano uses interviews and the historic record to tell this unique and compelling story.
Gail Wilson-Giarratano is the executive director and vice-president of the education-focused nonprofit City Year, in Columbia, South Carolina. She holds a BA in art from Winthrop University, an MS in leadership and policy from Wheelock College in Boston and a PhD in leadership and decision sciences from Walden University. Gail currently resides in Lake Carolina community of Columbia, South Carolin,a with her blues musician husband Anthony Charles (Giarratano) and their dog Adelina Bambini.