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Singing on the Mountain

85th Annual Singing on the Mountain - June 28, 2009

The "Singing" is a day-long gathering held out-of-doors in a meadow at the base of Grandfather Mountain. Music begins at 8:30 a.m. and continues throughout the day, with a break at mid-day for the sermon. Many families bring lawn chairs and picnics and make a day of seeing old friends and enjoying performances by top Southern Gospel groups.

The Reverend Freida Hartley Hobson, pastor of the Forest Hill United Methodist Church in Concord, North Carolina, will bring the message at the 85th annual gathering. Mrs. Hobson is the granddaughter of Singing founder Joe L. Hartley and uniquely qualified to lead the faithful as they celebrate the longevity and tradition of her grandfather's legacy.

Admission to the "Singing on the Mountain" is free, and camping (without hookups) is available on the grounds on a first come basis. The "Singing" grounds are located on US Highway 221, two miles north of Linville and one mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

85 Years of Memories

June 2008 marks the 85th year that the faithful will climb the ridge to the "Singing on the Mountain" to participate in the oldest ongoing old time gospel convention left in the Southern Appalachians.

Founded in 1924 by Joe Hartley, Sr. as his family's reunion, the Grandfather "Singing" is always held on the fourth Sunday in June (June 28, 2009). The history of the "Singing" is the history of country gospel music, and even today the spontaneous happening continues almost unchanged in 84 years.

The event features a dozen top Southern Gospel groups playing on the outdoor stage throughout the day, breaking at midday for the preaching. Admission is free with the motto remaining the same for 85 years: "Whosoever will may come."

Old timers can remember the time when Little Betty Johnson of the Johnson Family Singers led the crowd in a stirring sing-a-long that could be heard over a mile away on Grandfather Mountain's Mile High Swinging Bridge.

And the time when thunderstorms threatened to drown out the event on the day that Billy Graham was scheduled to speak. No one who was there will ever forget how the clouds parted as Graham stepped up to the microphone and the sun shone brightly on the gathering while he shared his message of God's amazing grace.

Or when Roy Acuff said of Grandfather Mountain, "what a glorious place to praise the Lord. It is like being lifted right up there with your prayers."

Everyone relishes memories of Arthur Smith and the Crackerjacks, music masters of the event from the 1950s through the early 1980s. Brother Ralph Smith would keep the crowd laughing with his country humor while Arthur inspired the gathering with dozens of his classic hymns, including "Acres of Diamonds." Other crowd favorites who performed with Smith were Tommy Faile, Maggie Griffin, Don Ainge, the Shuler twins, and George Hamilton IV.

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