Charles Wolfe
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Cultural historian and late MTSU professor Charles Wolfe will be inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame for his work to preserve the history of the genre.
“It’s a well-deserved honor. Charles really made some great contributions to the history and literature of bluegrass music. … He wrote about what he loved, and he loved what he wrote about,” said Paul Wells, director of the Center for Popular Music at MTSU.
Wolfe spent 35 years teaching graduate and undergraduate English at MTSU and, in his spare time, performing award-winning research and authoring 19 books on popular music. He died in February 2006.
“Gifted and well respected in all genres of traditional country and bluegrass music as a writer, historian and storyteller, Dr. Wolfe documented musical histories, often with little compensation, and wrote liner notes for scores of albums,” IBMA Spokeswoman Karen Byrd wrote in a press release.
This isn’t the first honor for Wolfe, who was a three-time Grammy nominee for authoring liner notes for albums of previously unknown Uncle Dave Macon recordings. He was also a two-time winner of the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) Deems Taylor Award, which recognizes excellence in writing about music, for his books “A Good-Natured Riot: The Birth of the Grand Ole Opry” and “Leadbelly: The legend of Huddy Leadbetter.”
“The (ASCAP-Deems Taylor) award is satisfying because it was won in a field of competition that included writings on all forms of popular music, from jazz to rock.
“I have always read widely in all areas of music writing – and I enjoy jazz, gospel and blues about as much as country,” Wolfe said in a 2000 interview.
It was his love of music, not the awards, that moved him to preserve and document popular music’s history, Wolfe said.
It’s from this labor of love that led Wolfe into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held at the 19th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, Oct. 2 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ibma.org or by calling 1-888-GET-IBMA or (615) 256-3222.
Founded in 1991, IBMA’s Hall of Fame is located in the International Bluegrass Museum in Owensburg, Ky.
Previous inductees include Bill Monroe, The Carter Family, Doc Watson, Earl Flatt and Lester Scruggs.
Inductees are chosen for their impact on the bluegrass community and as a tribute to their efforts.
Wolfe served on the IBMA Board of Directors and was honored with the Distinguished Achievement Award in 1990.
In addition to his scholarly research, Wolfe worked with the Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Association judging contests.
He also helped produce Murfreesboro’s Uncle Dave Macon Days for more than 25 years.
Wolfe was also featured in many broadcast documentaries, including A&E’s “Grand Ole Opry: 75 years of American Music.”
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com. |
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