Abby the Spoon Lady

Abby the Spoon Lady (born October 29, 1981 in Wichita, Kansas), born Abby Roach, is an American musician, radio personality,[1] and free speech activist. Her music focuses on the American roots genre.[2][3]

Abby the Spoon Lady on a freight train.
Abby the Spoon Lady
Abby the Spoon Lady performing in Asheville, North Carolina.
Background information
Birth nameAbby Roach
Born (1981-10-29) 29 October 1981
Wichita, Kansas, United States
OriginWichita, Kansas, United States
GenresAmerican folk, American roots
Occupation(s)
  • musician
  • free speech activist
  • percussionist
  • storyteller
  • radio personality
InstrumentsSpoons, musical saw
Years active2002 (2002)–present
Associated actsChris Rodrigues, Tater Boys, Fly By Night Rounders
Websitespoonlady.com

History

Abby first started street performing and busking as a means to make money traveling across the United States, primarily hopping freight trains. She taught herself to play the spoons and traveled all over the United States by hitchhiking and railroad. She states that landing in Asheville, North Carolina, was completely an accident and that she took the wrong train.[4] Today she hosts storytelling events where she discusses the lifestyle of the American hobo.[5] She spent a good amount of her time traveling recording the stories, interviews and songs of other American travelers.[6]

Abby is an advocate for street performance and free speech. In 2014 she was instrumental in developing a group called the Asheville Buskers Collective which advocates for street performance within the city of Asheville, North Carolina.[7][8][9][10] Today she records buskers through a project called Busker Broadcast, and records interviews and songs of travelers passing through Asheville.[6]

In 2012, she was filmed in the horror film Jug Face playing spoons, and in 2015 she was filmed for Buskin' Blues, a documentary about the street performance scene in Asheville.[11]

Radio

Abby the Spoon Lady hosts a radio show on WSFM-LP in Asheville, North Carolina called Busker Broadcast. The show centers around street performance and public space law.[1]

Genre

Her repertoire consists of a mix of Americana, early jazz, ragtime for string instruments, country blues, jug band, Western swing, Vaudeville, and Appalachian folk.

Influences

Musicians that have influenced her include Artis the Spoonman, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe, Milton Brown and the Musical Brownies, Sleepy John Estes, Fats Waller, and Emmett Miller

References
  1. "Busker Broadcast". Asheville FM. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. Hesse, Dan (2017-01-13). "Abby The Spoon Lady performs at The Mothlight on Sunday Feb. 12th | Mountain Xpress". Mountainx.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  3. "Asheville buskers left in the cold". Citizen-times.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  4. Marla Hardee Milling (2015). Only in Asheville: An Eclectic History. Charleston, SC: The History Press. pp. 108–110.
  5. Marshall, Alli (2016-06-27). "Abby the Spoon Lady shares stories and music at Trade and Lore Coffee House, July 14 | Mountain Xpress". Mountainx.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  6. "CBC Listen | Q | Why 'The Spoon Lady' Abby Roach is recording America's buskers". Cbc.ca. 2017-01-17. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  7. Daffron, Virginia (2015-08-27). "Buskers to City: Don't put art in a box | Mountain Xpress". Mountainx.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  8. "Designated zones, music sales: Buskers jostle for new laws". Citizen-times.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  9. McDonald, Michael. "Asheville Buskers Collective continues discussing downtown busking issues | Mountain Xpress". Mountainx.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  10. "Buskers' concerns halt proposed city pilot program". Citizen-times.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  11. "Buskin' Blues". Retrieved 28 December 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
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