"Back Up the Holler" By Violet Vincent

The Story of Back up the Holler

     In the winter of 2001, I [John Dodson] received an email from a Violet Vincent that inquired as to how she could get in touch with Stevie Black concerning an interview he had done with his grandmother, Virgie Bailey. I replied that I would forward her request to Stevie, who now was attending Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. I received a nice email back from Stevie telling what all he was up to, and how he figured that Violet must be a friend of his grandma’s, and that he would probably contact her. That was all there was to it until June, when my wife, Bonnie ran into Stevie’s mom, Virgie’s daughter, at the grocery store. She asked Bonnie if we knew about the song? We did not. It turned out Violet was inspired to write a song about Virgie after reading her interview. She had sent the CD to Steve. I emailed Violet and received this in reply. 

Dear John,

Let me start off by saying that I'd be honored for you to use any of my songs for your video. Your project sounds amazing. I'm veryinterested in it. Your interview project with your class is anincredible piece of ethnography. I haven't read all of the interviews yet, but I will sit down now and go through them. I'm really touched that Virgie's daughter, Debbie, and now you have responded to me so nicely. I wrote the song two years ago, but didn't make a good recording of it until this year. I'm glad that was able to send a copy to the Bailey family, however I feel like have some explaining to do. Why would I use Virgie as the subject of a song? Well, there are many variables leading up to the writing of the song Back Up the Holler. I started off writing semi- biographical songs about some of the women in my ancestry just 5 years ago. They were musicians, rug makers, ceramicists, and painters who lived in Texas, Virginia, and Tennessee. My folk music influences come from my grandfather who was originally from Birmingham, Alabama and was a classical composer and an educator at Western Kentucky State Teachers College as well as UCLA. At one point in his career he was interested in arranging classical compositions of Appalachian folk songs. He was friends with John Jacob Niles, and used to performNiles' Appalachian songs, such as I Wonder When I Wander. SO, this is where I get my influences, and this is why I write biographical songs with an Appalachian musical style.

A couple of years ago, I was doing some research, and trying to find out more about Appalachia. I know very little about the region and the people who live there, although over here in Los Angeles, I have been involved in the music. I spent one day searching for stories of the people of Appalachia, and up came Virgins interview. I was really struck by how she still called her father "daddy" even though many years had passed and she wasn't a little girl anymore. Her recollections seemed clear as the day when she was a little girl living with her parents. I was very inspired, I thought her memories were beautiful. Back Up The Holler is the first biographical song that I wrote about someone else's ancestor. Also, to explain my interest, I have a BA in Anthropology, and I justaccepted a position to teach 6th grade Social Studies here in LosAngeles. So, my interests are on a mark close to your own.

It's so great to correspond with you.

Yours truly,

Violet Vincent

     I had checked out the band, Pale Amanitas, on the Web and found out they were from Echo Canyon and Silver Canyon in California. I figured that was up in the mountains somewhere. Wrong. They are neighborhoods in Los Angeles. So that is that. The Bland County History Archives and the POWER OF THE NET.