Yearly Archive for: "2012"

I got in involved with the Music Maker Relief Foundation back in 2005 after seeing a show in Washington, DC. I was so intrigued by the artists, their music and their stories that I had to make [...]

Our capacity to give grows through giving, and my appreciation for Music Maker continues to grow the more I’m involved in supporting the mission. It’s truly a mission for all of us. [...]

Listen: Santa Claus is Coming to Town Ironing Board Sam entertained the crowd at our annual Musical Gathering in November with some holiday spirit – in the form of his own joyful take on [...]

In 1992 Denise and I drove from Winston-Salem to Tarboro, NC, to meet Piedmont Bluesman George Higgs. At the time it seemed like a big trip – a four-hour drive east. We had heard George at [...]

Please give Ben Payton a warm welcome to Music Maker! Payton, of Jackson, Mississippi, is an acoustic blues artist with strong roots in the Delta. As a teenager in the 1960s his family moved to [...]

As Aaron puts it “this is the ‘We Are the World’ of Blues Christmas!” We have to admit, we wrote a Diggin’ on this last year, but its worth repeating – if you [...]

In the winter of 1995, I discovered how a simple gift can be the difference between life and death for our elderly artists. In that year, there was a terrible ice storm in Winston-Salem, NC [...]

Raphael Evrard and Simon Arcache were riding their bikes through downtown Hillsborough on Wednesday afternoon when they saw a woman from nearby Village Diner who recognized them and shouted a [...]

It’s no secret that good home cookin’ has a big place in southern culture, especially in the annals of southern roots music — just ask anybody who has had “Cornbread and [...]

We’ve just gotten word that Tarboro, NC Bluesman George Higgs has been moved out of the ICU after an issue with his lungs, and is on the mend. Unfortunately George has had to cancel his [...]

We know that to a lot of organizations, “Membership” can mean a lot of different things. To us at Music Maker, everyone who donates to our cause is a member of our community. When you [...]

Ironing Board Sam is heading out on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise next week to play alongside a lineup that includes MMRF Board Members the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Advisory Board [...]

John Dee will be at the Richmond Folk Festival this weekend, Oct. 12-14!  Check out this “Diggin'” straight from our newsletter: John Dee Holeman has a new dog. Whitney and I stopped [...]

German photographer Axel Kustner has been a great friend to Music Maker and has taken so many wonderful photos of our artists. Don’t miss hearing him interviewed this Sunday from 5-7pm on [...]

Ironing Board Sam and Drink Small will perform together at  Sweet Palmetto Blues at the Richland Fashion Mall this weekend. The two blues artists have more in common than just their South [...]

 The Blues is back in D.C. – Capitol Blues Night is October 24th! This time though, a full Music Maker Blues Revue will be performing at The Hamilton, and tickets will be $25. Don’t [...]

Music Maker is dedicated to the preservation of the Roots, musical traditions that share a birthplace among our nation’s working poor. Our cultural identity is threatened daily as [...]

Whitney has joined Music Maker as our new Community Coordinator. She will be taking over where Cornelius Lewis left off when he headed to Appalachian State University this August, as well as [...]

On MagnetMagazine.com’s poll last week, Ironing Board Sam’s Ninth Wonder of the World of Music was voted the most anticipated album of this week! We understand how people would be [...]

Listen: When You Kill The Chicken, Save Me The Head This week’s Diggin’ is Algia Mae Hinton’s “When You Kill The Chicken, Save Me The Head.” What struck me first [...]

Living Blues has given Ironing Board Sam the honor of “Comeback Artist of the Year” in their Critic’s Poll. We are so proud that the magazine has recognized Sam for his hard [...]

Summer 2012, Music Maker had four great interns helping with the daily operations in the office. Jeremy Johnston, a rising Junior at Hampshire College, is a Film and Video major and worked [...]

L.C. Ulmer is a blues player who hails from Jones County, Mississippi. He was born in 1928 in Stringer, and has played guitar since he was nine years old. This isn’t surprising when you [...]

Two filmmakers arrived at MM’s offices last Wednesday to document Pura Fé, Dom Flemons and Tim Duffy. The office was transformed into a film studio for much of the day as artists took turns [...]

When he wasn’t out fishing, John Dee Holeman certainly has had a busy summer. In addition to being featured in an ad campaign for Martin Guitars, in May John Dee performed at the Apollo for [...]

All of us here at Music Maker hope you had a great 4th of July! This is a great time for us to remember and give thanks for everyone who has served or is serving to protect our country. Music [...]

Our Roots and Leaves Concert Series in Chapel Hill has concluded, and, despite one performance canceled by a sudden thunderstorm, it was a wonderful month of shows! The program, funded by the [...]

Music Maker is partnering with the University of Southern Mississippi to bring the Music Maker Stage to the Southern Mississippi Roots Festival this October! The Music Maker Stage will showcase a [...]

Boo and Dom’s album, Buffalo Junction, was mentioned on The Nashville Bridge! Check out the post here for a great photo of Boo & Dom in New Orleans in 2008. The Nashville Bridge, a blog [...]

Pomroy Blues & Jazz Society has written a wonderful post about James Davis, his album Georgia Drumbeat, and Music Maker’s mission. We want to thank them so much! Check out the post here.

Boo Hanks grew up sharecropping in Vance County, N.C., where he learned to play guitar. Music Maker has helped Boo go from being heard only in his community to playing for thousands at shows and [...]

Thanks to the Tinner Hill Blues Festival for putting on an awesome event! Ironing Board Sam, Big Ron Hunter, Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen and Sol performed at the festival this past [...]

The Jazz Foundation’s Agnes Varis Jazz and Blues in the Schools Program creates performance and teaching opportunities for elderly artists who still have so much to give back to their [...]

On the final day of May, Ironing Board Sam recorded new tracks in the former Music Maker studios. Just a few days before Music Maker had me bring a handful of pens to Ironing Board Sam.  Sam said [...]

The Herald-Journal of Spartanburg, SC, wrote an article on Ironing Board Sam! Check it out here: https://www.goupstate.com/article/20120524/ENT/205241006?tc=ar

He was sitting in his kitchen listening to a mix CD when we arrived.  Chomping at the last bit of his cigar Captain Luke welcomed Aaron and I into his home.  Since it was memorial day we all sat [...]

The University of North Carolina School of the Arts has a new program, the Music Academy of the American South (MAAS.)  On Saturday, June 9th at 4pm, Music Maker’s Founder Tim Duffy will [...]

Music Maker board members the Carolina Chocolate Drops filmed a video early this year for their single “Country Girl,” and it has been #1 on CMT.com! It is also being featured daily on [...]

Music Maker has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to present a music series in Chapel Hill! The Music Maker Roots and Leaves series will take place on Fridays, June 8th [...]

If you’re in the Triangle area of N.C., don’t miss this Friday night’s Back Porch Music at the American Tobacco District! The Music Maker Blues Revue, including John Dee Holeman, Boo Hanks, [...]

In 2010, Music Maker located Ironing Board Sam living in terrible poverty, having given up on his career. My first call was to Quint Davis, one of the founders of the New Orleans Jazz & [...]

Photo by Tim Duffy Levon Helm, a Music Maker Advisory Board member and supporter, passed away yesterday at the age of 71. He will be missed by all of us, but his contributions to music will live [...]