FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ross Moonie [email protected] 917.690.5713 AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FROM THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS SPOTLIGHTED IN “DAVID HOLT’S STATE OF MUSIC” SEASON 2

Series Explores Rich Musical Legacy of the Southeast U.S. Eight Episodes to Air on PBS from April 8, 2017 (check local listings)

February 23, 2017- In the second season of David Holt’s State of Music, four-time Grammy winner David Holt introduces viewers to some amazing modern masters of American folk, bluegrass, country, and gospel music. The season, consisting of seven 30-minute episodes and one 60-minute episode, will begin airing on PBS in April, May, and June (check local listings). The original David Holt’s State of Music received a 2015 Emmy nomination in the category “Documentary-Cultural” for the mid-south region.

David Holt’s State of Music, Season 2 was filmed on location throughout the mostly rural landscapes that nurture this organically American music. Featured in Season 2 are a 19th-century textile mill near Burlington, NC once owned by David’s distant ancestors; an historic court house in Hendersonville, a general store in the Prospect Hill community, and a beautiful farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains that once belonged to the family of Woody Platt, guitarist and singer with the Steep Canyon Rangers. The series includes whole songs by, and interviews with, its talented performers.

The season’s final episode is a one-hour stage performance reuniting David with artists from the first season including breakout star , multi-faceted musician and ballad singer Josh Goforth, African-American gospel torch bearers the Branchettes, and bluegrass supergroup Balsam Range.

“This series really highlights the diversity of American traditional music and the performers who are drawn to it from different directions,” says host David Holt, “from a veteran like Doyle Lawson, who in his youth studied with the great Jimmy Martin, to a young, gifted female performer like Amythyst Kiah, who learns from the Internet. The depth of heart, soul, and talent revealed in this season’s music is bound to amaze viewers!”

All episodes, music, photos, and more information is available at www.DavidHoltTV.organd http://pressroom.pbs.org/ . A five-minute preview is at: https://vimeo.com/185562062 .

Season Two Featured Artists: Steep Canyon Rangers, the progressive bluegrass band that got its break touring with comedian Steve Martin; the Swiss- born Kruger Brothers, virtuosos on and guitar; the young band Mipso, all recent students at UNC-Chapel Hill; bluegrass legend Doyle Lawson and his band Quicksilver; powerhouse vocalist Amythyst Kiah; famous guitar-maker Wayne Henderson with bluegrass pianist Jeff Little; Dom Flemons, a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops; the Unity Choir of St. John AME Zion Church; and Alice Gerrard, grand-dame of bluegrass women, performing with fiddler Rayna Gellert and singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett.

About David Holt: David Holt previously hosted the UNC-TV/PBS series Folkways that took viewers through the Southern mountains visiting traditional craftsmen and musicians. He also served as host of The Nashville Network’s Fire on the Mountain, Celebration Express and American Music Shop. He was a frequent guest on Hee Haw, Nashville Now and The . David was cast as a musician in the popular Coen Brothers film, O Brother Where Art Thou. He also hosts Riverwalk Jazz for Public Radio International and the Emmy award-winning series Great Scenic Railway Journeys on public television. In 2002, David Holt and Doc Watson won two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Folk Recording for Legacy, a three-CD collection of songs and stories reflecting Doc Watson’s life in music. Doc and David toured together from 1998 until Doc’s death in 2012. More information can be found at davidholt.com. Creators: Series Host: David Holt Directed by Deni McIntyre Produced by Will McIntyre Director of photography: Jan Balster © 2017 Will & Deni McIntyre Foundation. All rights reserved.

Funding: Major funding provided by the Rhea Bigelow Charitable Trust, Explore Asheville, The Community Foundation of Henderson County and its Perry N. Rudnick Endowment, Blue Ridge Trails of North Carolina, and the J. Lyles Glenn Family Charitable Fund. A complete list of underwriters is available at PBS.org.

Products: Series DVDs are distributed by PBS.org. Two audio CDs, Tunes from David Holt’s State of Music and Tunes from David Holt’s State of Music 2, are on High Windy Audio and are also available at PBS.org.

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