BRMC to present Eddie Bond with New Ballard Branch Bogtrotters on Sept. 6

Eddie Bond will read from his book, "Four Seasons in the Blue Ridge," play music with the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters and sign copies from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 6, during the free Midday Mountain Music session on the breezeway of the Blue Ridge Music Center.This event is part of the "Backstories" series, supported by a Central Appalachian Living Traditions grant from Mid Atlantic Arts. The Music Center is located at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway just south of Galax, Virginia."Four Seasons in the Blue Ridge" reflects on culture, folkways, and the spirit of the Appalachian people. Bond will share excerpts, tell stories of his Appalachian upbringing, and play tunes on the fiddle with his band, the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters.Bond grew up in a family of musicians in the Grayson County mill town of Fries. A tiny town of 600 residents, Fries has a strikingly rich musical tradition, producing such luminaries as Henry Whitter and Ernest Stoneman, among others. Music was a family tradition ― all four of Bond's great-grandfathers were musicians, and three of his grandparents played as well. His Granny Widner started him on his musical journey, teaching him to play guitar when he was only eight years old. Today, he is one of the most respected fiddlers in the Blue Ridge region.Since 2001, Bond has been the fiddler and lead singer for the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters, one of Virginia's premier old-time string bands. His fiddle playing has taken him to Ireland, Scotland, France, and Australia and many places across the United States. Bond has claimed the award for "Best All-Around Performer" twice at the Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention. In 2018, he received the National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the United States government awards folk artists.The "Backstories" series features authors, musicians, artists, and other tradition bearers telling stories about the music and musicians who played it, and the culture and region the music comes from. The series is supported by a Central Appalachian Living Traditions from Mid Atlantic Arts.