Songs & Stories of the South: a concert at ARTworks will be held Friday, May 24, at 7 p.m.
Storytelling and guitars go together like biscuits and gravy, when you have these three artists together on stage: Big Frank Waddell, Carroll Brown, and Clay Rice. This gifted trio has performed around the country and across the world, together and separately, in festivals and concert venues, bookstores, pubs and house concerts, because once upon a time, there was a story to tell and a song to sing.
Following his retirement from the US Air Force, Big Frank Waddell leads the pack, and entertains with his humor as much as his voice. His talent is bringing people together, and cherishing the moment: he pulls for both Carolina and Clemson, mustard- and vinegar-based barbecue.
Born and raised on a farm in rural South Carolina, Carroll Brown’s first music influences were church music and what scatterings he could pick up from the night time radio. His mother was the church pianist and taught him his first chords on the guitar. This gift of music became his constant companion in the business of music, from Nashville to South Carolina to Ireland.
Clay Rice is a performance artist both vocally and visually: he will also sign copies of his new children’s book, “Mama Let’s Make a Moon.” Clay Rice is described by author Pat Conroy as a “great talent who combines soul and passion”. Silhouette artistry and storytelling have been in his family for more than 80 years. His grandfather, Carew Rice, was described by Poet Carl Sandburg as “America’s Greatest Silhouettist.”
Tickets are $17 per person, $12 for students (13+), $7 for children (12 and under) and $12 for groups of 10 or more. ARTworks is in Beaufort Town Center, 2127 Boundary Street. www.artworksinbeaufort.org, 843-379-2787.
