• By Don Dwiggins
• Posted Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Stories & Songs from the Civil War

Tennessee storytellers Rhonda and Sparky Rucker are coming to Central Library. This award-winning storytelling team will perform stories and songs from the Civil War era. Sparky and Rhonda Rucker perform throughout the U.S. as well as overseas, singing songs and telling stories from the American folk tradition. Sparky Rucker has been performing over forty years and is internationally recognized as a leading folklorist, musician, historian, storyteller, and author. He accompanies himself with fingerstyle picking and bottleneck blues guitar, banjo, and spoons. Rhonda Rucker is an accomplished harmonica, piano, banjo, and bones player, and also adds vocal harmonies to their songs. View the video from one of their past performances.

The Rucker’s have been featured tellers at the International Storytelling Center and Festival. Sparky is a natural storyteller, having grown up hearing his father, uncles, and other family members endlessly telling tales. Sparky tells stories by himself, but Sparky and Rhonda also tell stories together (in tandem), always adding life and humor to the characters and tricksters in their Brer Rabbit tales, Jack tales, High John the Conqueror stories, preacher tales, and family stories.

Central Library Auditorium
Friday, February 18th at 10:00 am

Special Note
The Rucker’s will also give a free performance on February 18th at 7:00 pm at historic St. Phillips Moravian Church in Old Salem; however a free ticket is required for admission. Limited tickets for this performance are available on a first come first served basis at branch locations of the Forsyth County Public Library.