ABC’s Diane Sawyer has a new program on National Geographic, exploring the nature and culture of the “7 Wonders of America.”
In the most recent installment, Sawyer explores the Appalachian mountains, and takes a trip to Western North Carolina.
To dig into the meaning of the Scot-Irish culture of the region, Sawyer visits the mountain home of seventh-generation ballad singer Sheila Kay Adams (2016 NC Arts Council Heritage Awardee), who’s joined by her cousin Donna Ray Norton.
Long time friends of the NC Arts Council and Come Hear NC Music Office, Sheila Kay and Donna Ray school Diane on some Madison County folkways. Sheila Kay talks of the persistence demanded by the hardscrabble lives of her ancestors, the two swap ballads (“The False True Lover” and “Dinah”), and Adams treats their famous guest to some homemade Johnnycakes and biscuits.
Watch Sheila Kay Adams and Donna Ray Norton’s segment for “7 Wonders of America” at www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yjElK7wnnk.
