Obray Ramsey (NC) 1913-1997 Performer banjo
Obray Arlin Ramsey, (born 24 Sep 1913 - Madison County, North Carolina, and died 07 Aug 1997 in Asheville, Buncombe County) was a traditional singer and banjo player. His parents were Andrew Jackson Ramsey (Birth 11 Aug 1887 in Revere, Madison, North Carolina. Death 27 Mar 1959 in Morganton, Burke, North Carolina) and Roxy Cona Wallin (Birth 01 May 1888 in Revere, Madison, North Carolina. Death 26 Aug 1962 in Revere, Madison, North Carolina). Obray was married to Tressalee Barnett Ramsey (see her obit below at bottom of page)
RECORDINGS
Notes to "Obray Ramsey & Byard Ray" – FRC113 by Ray Alden: Fiddler Byard Ray and his banjo picking cousin Obray Ramsey were “discovered” during the folk revival of the 1960s at the Asheville Folk Festival in North Carolina. The time of their discovery coincided with the psychedelic rock period, which led to their music being incorporated in the rock movie western “Zachariah.“ This concert, recorded in NYC, was part of a tour to promote their LP recording “White Lightning,” which used a band of studio musicians. Fortunately for us this lovely concert on this CD featured Obray Ramsey and Byard Ray, accompanied only by guitar, doing home-based traditional songs and instrumentals. –
Notes to “Obray Ramsey – Blue Ridge Banjo,” Washington LP [WLP 707] by Kenneth Goldstein: Obray Ramsey was born on the banks of the three Laurels at the edge of the Smokey Mountains in western North Carolina. His father’s people came from the highlands of Scotland, and his mother’s ancestors were Cherokee Indians. Most of his songs were learned from his mother and grandmother, both fine singers with extensive repertoires. For most of his life he has sung his songs unaccompanied, though he had learned to play the guitar when still a young boy. After he married and settled down as a successful farmer near Marshall, North Carolina, he met Bascom Lamar Lunsford, folksinger, collector, and organizer of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival held annually in Asheville, North Carolina. Lunsford recognized his fine singing talents and encouraged him to take up the 5-string banjo, which he believed would be perfectly suited to Obray’s style of singing. To show his faith in this belief, Lunsford gave Ramsey his first banjo in 1953. Now, Obray Ramsey is one of the finest banjo-pickers in the Southern Mountains. His style is a perfect compromise between old picking styles and currently popular modern styles.
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Tressalee B. Ramsey
Marshall - Tressalee Barnett Ramsey, 98, died Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at her home.
A native and lifelong resident of Madison County, Tressalee was born September 26, 1913 to Lattie and Elizabeth Chandler Barnett. She married Obray Ramsey on December 17, 1938 in Greenville, SC. They later had a second service at the Church of the Little Flower in Revere conducted by Father Andrew Graves.
A graduate of Walnut High School and Asheville Normal College, she taught school in Madison County for 38 years. Her career began in 1938 in the one room schoolhouse at Rice Cove. She then taught at Laurel and the following year went to the school at Revere. Tressalee began teaching at Walnut School in 1946, where she taught most of her career except for four years at Marshall High School. Loved by her students and fellow teachers, she retired from Walnut in 1976 but continued as a substitute teacher until she was 70 years old. Tressalee spent many years quilting, gardening, tending to her flowers and ceramics. She was the oldest member of Belva Baptist Church where she taught the ladies Sunday school class for many years.
In addition to her parents and husband, Tressalee was preceded in death by her only daughter, Sondra Tipton; sisters, Ollie and Cornelia Barnett, Vina Thomas, Stella Gahagan and Meredith Payne; brothers, Everette, Edward, Charles, and Clyde Barnett.
Surviving are her grandsons, Skip Tipton of Hendersonville and Donovan Tipton of Knoxville; sisters, Cordelia Barnett of Maryland and Christine Franklin of Marshall; special niece, Gayle Lisenbee; special friend and caregiver, Marti Banks; and her cat and best friend, Molly. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/citizen-times/obituary.aspx?pid=156365278#sthash.aIzyXtX3.dpuf