INTRODUCTION
All my life, I have heard stories about Charlie Poole. My dad claims that I have been singing Poole lyrics since the age of three. As a child, I was lucky enough to meet several of the people in this book, the most memorable of whom was Lonnie Austin. I was always amazed at how he could seemingly bang his fingers against the piano keys and make beautiful music. I also spent many a Southern night playing in the backyard while Dad played Poole tunes on his banjo outside. As an adult, I have been lucky to be an audience member at many of my dad’s performances, the highlight of which was the Alaskan Folk Festival, held in Juneau in 1997. It was fantastic to see him perform with my uncle Doug Rorrer and Kirk Sutphin, with Kirk’s wife Lisa providing clogging entertainment. When I sat in his Charlie Poole workshop that year in Juneau, I realized what a fascinating man Charlie was. I remember countless times in restaurants, stores, and churches when we had to wait for Dad while people told him a “Charlie Poole story”—all of them funny.
I hope you have a chance to enjoy this book, as well as Charlie’s music, as much as I have.
- Katie Rorrer
