Today on our program, we present the story of one of the most iconic American Folk songs, born from the lineage of 16th-century ballads brought by immigrants from the British Isles, "Shady Grove". Often used in both dance and courtship, the timeless melody was the backbone for countless ballads and folk songs that made their way to North America and took root in the Appalachian and Ozark Mountain ranges. To date, "Shady Grove" has been estimated to have amassed over 300 stanzas since was first sung in the Cumberland Plateau region of Eastern Kentucky in the mid-nineteenth century. Story by Ryan Eastridge.
Shady Grove
