Down the Road BRMT | Ep. 11: Blues Guitarist Lesley Riddle Shaped Country Music

Country music came into the American mainstream with the Carter Family, but A.P. Carter relied heavily on African-American blues guitarist Lesley Riddle of Yancey County, N.C. In 1927, Lesley met A.P. in Bristol, Tenn. and helped the Carters collect the songs across Appalachia that would become country music classics. Now Burnsville pays tribute to the blues musician with annual Riddlefest.