http://northcarolinamountaindreams.com/826/the-life-and-times-of-ray-hicks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-life-and-times-of-ray-hicks North Carolina Mountain Dreams... Dreaming of the second half of my life...In the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wed, 16 May 2012 00:19:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= http://northcarolinamountaindreams.com/826/the-life-and-times-of-ray-hicks/#comment-3052 Martin Myers Sat, 28 May 2011 02:23:08 +0000 http://northcarolinamountaindreams.com/?p=826#comment-3052 I have been a lover of storytelling for many many years. I grew up listening to Folklore. I met Jerry Harmon in 2010 while on vacation. I was told by a friend that Jerry Harmon was performing at a festival not so far away, and that he put on a show that was more than worth seeing. I had no idea who this man was,but I sure remember when he walked on stage, for without seeming to try for anything special there was an energy about him that you knew he was not the average performer.I sit and listened in awe at a Martin guitar that seemed to be alive. I heard great lyrics,singing, and the energy abounded from Jerry Harmon on the stage. I will never forget the way he had the ability to take the audience on any path he chose. One minute we were laughing hystericlly, and the next going on a journey that was different for each person in the audience. I found out Jerry is the last of the direct lineage of Council Harmon who is credited by historians as being the original tale bearer who shared the Jack Tales in America,in the Western Mountains of North Carolina. I had the pleasure of meeting Jerry Harmon and was even more amazed how genuine,modest, he is. You feel as if you are the only person around when he talks to you. I found out he grew up listening to Grandpa Ben Harmon sitting by a fireplace in his old shack in a hollar and his second cousin Ray Hicks telling the tales of the mountains.I can see why people all over Europe and North America are talking about what a jewel he is. I am not a promoter, nor do I have anything to do with music, but believe me if you have a chance to watch Jerry Harmon on stage you want to take it. I have been a lover of storytelling for many many years. I grew up listening to Folklore. I met Jerry Harmon in 2010 while on vacation. I was told by a friend that Jerry Harmon was performing at a festival not so far away, and that he put on a show that was more than worth seeing. I had no idea who this man was,but I sure remember when he walked on stage, for without seeming to try for anything special there was an energy about him that you knew he was not the average performer.I sit and listened in awe at a Martin guitar that seemed to be alive. I heard great lyrics,singing, and the energy abounded from Jerry Harmon on the stage. I will never forget the way he had the ability to take the audience on any path he chose. One minute we were laughing hystericlly, and the next going on a journey that was different for each person in the audience. I found out Jerry is the last of the direct lineage of Council Harmon who is credited by historians as being the original tale bearer who shared the Jack Tales in America,in the Western Mountains of North Carolina.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jerry Harmon and was even more amazed how genuine,modest, he is. You feel as if you are the only person around when he talks to you. I found out he grew up listening to Grandpa Ben Harmon sitting by a fireplace in his old shack in a hollar and his second cousin Ray Hicks telling the tales of the mountains.I can see why people all over Europe and North America are talking about what a jewel he is. I am not a promoter, nor do I have anything to do with music, but believe me if you have a chance to watch Jerry Harmon on stage you want to take it.

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