R.G. Absher Inducted Into Blue Ridge Music Hall Of Fame

Taylorsville’s R.G. Absher was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Wilkesboro on Saturday, March 23rd.

Absher was also given the 2024 Dr. T.R. Bryan Jr Wilkes County Heritage Music Award .

Absher grew up in Taylorsville and started playing banjo at age 9. He later added guitar, hammered dulcimer and fiddle in later years. He worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at W. Kerr Scott Dam for 32 years and has been executive director of the Yadkin River Greenway Council for several years. He’s performed at every MerleFest.

R.G. toured Ireland in 2010, playing for the BBC documentary “We’r Fur Hame,” the story of American Scots-Irish heritage. Focusing on the historic of this region, Absher performs at historic sites, Revolutionary War re-enactments and Celtic festivals. He helped establish the Wilkes Heritage Museum and is an member of the museum, Overmountain Victory Trail Association and Partnership for National Trails boards.

The Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame exists to showcase and preserve the musical heritage of the greater Blue Ridge Mountains, from northern Georgia to northern Virginia. The Hall of Fame educates, defines, and interprets the history of music and musicians in all genres from the region with exhibits and an annual celebration of inductees.

The Wilkes Heritage Museum collects and preserves historic structures, artifacts, and documents of Wilkes County and serves as a resource center for the public. Through exhibits, educational programs, performances, and research, it interprets the history of Wilkes County and western North Carolina. For more information about the Wilkes Heritage Museum and the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, call 336-667-3171 or go to www.wilkesheritagemuseum.com.