Dom Flemons, a two-time EMMY nominee and 2020 United States Artists Fellow, is a multi-talented musician, songwriter, producer, actor, music scholar, historian, and record collector.
Catch Flemons live on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. in Owen Theatre on the campus of Mars Hill University. Tickets are available for purchase at www.mhu.edu/flemons-concert. A screening of the film Night Music, takes place before the concert. The film screening, hosted by the multi-talented musician, is free and open to the public.
Night Music was inspired by the prison recordings created by folklorist John Lomax and his son, folklorist Alan Lomax during the 1930s. The screening will begin at 5 p.m. at MHU’s Ferguson Health Sciences Center, Room 306.
Leila Weinstein, program coordinator for the Ramsey Center, said, “This concert is one way that MHU can give to its community: this is an opportunity to see a Grammy Award-winning musician in an intimate, professionally-produced concert here in Madison County. In addition, we’ve tried to ensure that this arts experience is available to all: Tickets are priced on a sliding scale, with a limited number of pay-what-you-can tickets.”
Known as The American Songster due to his repertoire of music covering over 100 years of early American popular music, Flemons is considered an expert player on various instruments including the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife, and rhythm bones. His music connects to the deep historical roots of American music.
As a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, he learned from North Carolina fiddler Joe Thompson, who at the time was one of the last musicians to be playing in the African American string band tradition. Flemons also released an award-winning album in 2018 as part of Smithsonian Folkways’ African American Legacy Recordings series that explored black contributions to country music and western history.
“In addition to being a charismatic and entertaining performer, Flemons is a student and scholar of American music history, so this is also a chance to learn whilst having fun!” Weinstein said.
