Archived Arts & Entertainment

In search of White Oak String Band members

art whiteoakWith a second album of historic mountain music on the horizon, the producers of the Grammy-nominated “Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music” are searching for anyone with knowledge of the following musicians:

fiddler S.T. Swanger, rhythm and steel guitarist Don Brooks and a guitarist known only as “Joyce,” all of whom played with Carroll Best and an informal group of musicians that called themselves the White Oak String Band.

The goal, according to Ted Olson, professor of Appalachian Studies and an American folk music instructor at East Tennessee State University, is to gather band member stories, performance photos, and hopefully conduct interviews with friends or relatives of Swanger, Brooks and “Joyce.” Materials gathered could be incorporated in the liner notes of the Great Smoky Mountains Association’s new album of music recorded in Haywood County by linguist Joseph S. Hall in the 1950s. 

“Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music,” nominated for a 2013 Grammy in the Best Historical Album category, came about after Olson uncovered Hall’s recordings in a local archive. He and GSMA decided to make available 34 of Hall’s earliest recordings from 1939. 

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 865.436.7318 (x227) or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 423.439.4379.

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.