I’m very proud to bring home several ribbons from competing at the Charlie Poole Festival held in Wentworth, NC this weekend, including first place in Charlie Poole Song and the $1,000 Old Time 3-Finger Banjo Grand Champion award. Yes boy!
My grandfather, J. Paul Flaherty Sr. (1904-1978) of Pittsburgh, PA. c. 1924
It wasn’t until a few years after I picked up the banjo that I found out my grandfather had been a professional tenor banjo during the 1920s. According to my dad, he played in a band on the first scheduled commercial radio broadcast, from KDKA’s studio on a rooftop in East Pittsburgh, which played in between readings of the 1920 Harding-Cox election results. He was said to have played gigs with Eddie Peabody and been a personal friend of George Gershwin, Oscar Levant and possibly Harry Reser. In the mid-late 20s, he was allegedly asked by Paul Whitman to replace Mike Pingatore in his orchestra, which was perhaps the most popular in the US at the time. He declined in order to enter the insurance business instead, which helped him prosper and raise his young family during the Depression. Had he chosen music, I wouldn’t be here.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any real evidence to verify these stories, just tall tales from my late father, but I’m going to believe they’re true. As far as I’m aware, no recordings of him exist. He is buried less than a half-mile from the legendary songwriter Stephen Foster, also of Pittsburgh.
I’m the owner of his 1923 Paramount Style A tenor, which he is holding in the second photo. The third photo is from the mid-late 70s.
All the way from the big cities in the Triangle, three terrific old time acts + NC’s largest banjo orchestra come east to @rafountain this Saturday night!
Andrew BG and Sam Harris (@__.s.__a.__.m.__ ) of @oakcityserenaders and 2024 Charlie Poole Festival Three-Finger Banjo Grand Champion Devon Flaherty (@electrobeams ) joined Lightnin’ Wells as featured performers at his sold out documentary premiere in Farmville in March and we’re thrilled to have them back in Pitt County with their bands. These young guys have been working hard to make this event come together and we can’t to see what they’ve got in store!
Tickets and full bios on each act at /event/old-time-string-band-revue-may-2026
Only $15 for reserved seats, $13 day of, $5 for students and free for kids 12 and under. Fresh squeezed lemonade, orangeade, five flavors of @simplynaturalcreamery ice cream and a full night of good clean fun!
And a big shoutout to @electrobeams for creating this lovely original flyer featuring our great state and other important icons 🔥
The Three-Top Serenaders are an award-winning old-time string band aimed at preserving the honest-to-goodness dance music from the hills of Western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia. Composed of Grayson McGuire (Todd, NC), Robbie Herman (Taylorsville, NC) and Devon Flaherty (Carrboro, NC), the Serenaders render numbers that touch the heart, make you laugh or put a tickle in your feet.
The group plays regularly for the Todd Community Square Dance, in addition to the historic Allegany Jubilee in Sparta, but can also be found on the streets of Boone, along the banks of the New River, at home around the fireplace or anywhere else music is called for. The trio has taken home several prizes at fiddler's conventions over the years, both as a group and individually. So put on your dancing shoes and if you ain't right, get right - it's your time for a good time!
Making a special trip over the fall line on Saturday, May 16th for the Old Time String Band Revue being held at the historic R.A. Fountain General Store (@rafountain ) in Fountain, NC.
Join us for a showcase of Piedmont old-time musicians featuring:
Amy Davis, Jon Newlin & Iris Newlin - Award-winning old-time fiddle and banjo tunes, beautiful ballad and harmony singing.
Oak City Serenaders - Award-winning ragtime and Italian string band music from the turn of the (20th) century.
Devon Flaherty & His Railroad Ramblers - Award-winning train music.
+a grand finale featuring North Carolina’s largest banjo orchestra… trust me, you will not want to miss out on this!
Tickets on sale at rafountain.com
Thanks to Andrew BG for putting this event together. Poster by me.
@oakcityserenaders@andrewjwalks
This unnamed banjo tune is attributed to Frank B. Converse who is said to have transcribed it from the playing of an unknown black banjo player in Elmira, NY sometime in the 1840s. I learned it from a Clarke Buehling CD on which it is titled Morceau.
#oldtimemusic #banjo #fretlessbanjo #strokestyle #clawhammer
Arkansas Traveler - played on fretless Menzies minstrel banjo (property of @elizabanjo ) with a brass thimble made by Joel Hooks.
#banjo #oldtimebanjo #fretlessbanjo #strokestyle #clawhammer
Rest in peace my friend, the great Kinney Rorrer (January 4, 1946 - April 2, 2026). Musician, teacher, historian, collector, storyteller, tradition-bearer, and above all, a kind soul.
We are thrilled to be a part of this stellar lineup at the second annual Fly Around Music & Arts Festival this summer, July 31st-August 1st in beautiful Lansing, NC. Early-bird tickets go on sale April 3rd. Hope you can make it!
@flyaroundfest
