Larry Cartwright, Haskell Avey, Camilla Avey Kinslow, Erstle Avey and Jimmy Driftwood peaking out from behind the curtain during the Folk Festival.
In Memory of Erstle and Haskell Avey.
Sponsored by The Erstle Avey Family: Brenda Lewis, Stacy Avey and Families.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, as a child I remember local musicians getting together behind the Avey’s Grocery in Newnata and “jamming” as it was called. Later the hootenannies started on Friday nights in the upstairs court room of the Stone County Courthouse, where it was packed to capacity and people were sitting in the window sills.
Haskell and Erstle Avey (brothers from Newnata) were a big part of this. Haskell had made a guitar out of a Willis Knight car door and was an accomplished steel guitar player and was known over the Northern part of Arkansas as “the piano tuner”. Erstle played a Gibson Electric guitar. They were known throughout the county for playing at numerous fund raisers, pie suppers, banquets, school activities, and local dances.
As plans were being made for the first Folk Festival in 1963, Erstle and Haskell decided, with Haskell’s homemade guitar, they could have a “homemade band”. So the plans began—Haskell playing his guitar made from an old car door. Erstle took a large storage drum, stretched a deer hide over the top, and whittled out drum sticks from wood. Camilla (Haskell’s daughter) played an original rub board, and Larry Cartwright played a bass made from a wash tub and a broom handle with a string for the sound. It sounded good and was a hit, as well as an asset at the first Folk Festival. Along with their friend Jimmy Driftwood, they, at this time, did not realize what was in store for Stone County in years to come. Haskell passed away in 1983 and Erstle in 2001.
Submitted by Brenda Avey Lewis.
The Committee of One Hundred Tribute Wall recognizes contributions to the preservation of Ozark folk culture.
If you would like to help preserve the folk culture of the Ozarks, consider a
The Committee is made up entirely of volunteers so, except for transaction fees, all of your donation funds music, craft, or the herb gardens and, as a 501c3 entity
your donation is tax deductible!
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