Click to download hi-res printable image

Ginny Hawker grew up in southern Virginia singing the unaccompanied songs of the Primitive Baptist church and harmonies of early bluegrass gospel with her father and cousins. She credits the Carter Family as one of the greatest influences on her music, and she includes Carter Family material in many of her performances and recordings. The Smithsonian Institution described Ginny's singing as "seeming to distill the experiences of the southern Appalachians." Considered one of the region’s best traditional singers, she performs regularly with Tracy Schwarz; Ginny also performs and records with Kay Justice and Hazel Dickens. Ginny is the President of the West Virginia State Folk Festival and co-coordinator of Augusta’s Vocal Week.

Tracy Schwarz has been teaching, recording and performing traditional music for more than 40 years as a member several Cajun bands and of "The New Lost City Ramblers," the Grammy-nominated band generally considered responsible for introducing urban audiences to rural southern music in the '60s and '70s. Tracy's talent in playing fiddle, guitar, and accordion has drawn many people worldwide to traditional southern music.

For the past 10 years, Ginny and Tracy have appeared in concerts and festivals throughout the United States, Canada and England. Each summer they teach southern traditional singing in several adult music camps introducing people to the music they love. At the 2003 Great Lakes Folk Festival, Ginny and Tracy are accompanied by Debra Clifford, and Tom T. Ball (bass) who has a folk music program on WCMU called "Homespun.”

http://ginnyandtracy.com
http://www.augustaheritage.com/vocal.html
http://www.oldsongs.org/Hawker-Schwarz.html