"Richard Johnston: Hill Country Troubadour," my documentary about the amazing street musician and one-man-band Richard Johnston, will be shown on November 29th at the Don Gibson Theater in Shelby, North Carolina. The special screening will be a part of the state of North Carolina’s celebration hosting the Smithsonian Institution’s "New Harmonies" traveling exhibit.

The exhibit commemorates the legacy of American music with interactive kiosks devoted to jazz, the blues, R&B, bluegrass, country western, zydeco, Cajun, Tejano, klezmer, folk, and gospel. It traces the emergence of such genres to African influences and the traditions of early European immigrants to North America. New Harmonies “tells a new American story” with displays of vintage sheet music, photographs, and instruments such as the dulcimer, banjo, diddley bow, spoons, washboard, and drums. A listening station provides an opportunity to experience music firsthand with legendary performers such as B.B. King, Joan Baez, Woody Guthrie, Mahalia Jackson, Bob Dylan, and Earl Scruggs.

New Harmonies is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.

For more information:
The Don Gibson Theater
Destination Cleveland County, NC
Richard Johnston: Hill Country Troubadour

Max Shores.

Hill Country Troubadour
This film on Memphis musician Richard Johnston won Best Alabama Film and Best Documentary at the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival, Best of Show and Best Documentary at the Macon Film Festival, and Second Place Documentary at the Tupelo Film Festival. It has been shown at festivals and special screenings around the world. Click for more… Holy Smoke Over Birmingham
A mouth-watering survey of nine top barbecue restaurants in Birmingham, this documentary aired on Alabama Public Television in 2006 and was screened at the 2008 New York City Food Film Festival while New Yorkers dined on southern-style barbecued pork and chicken. Click for more…

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Max Shores.