Clarence Ashley, born Clarence Earl McCurry on 29 September 1895 in Bristol, Tennessee, was an American folk musician and banjo player whose early life was shaped by Appalachian traditions and the medicine shows of the early 20th century. After learning the clawhammer banjo from his grandfather and performing in medicine shows from 1911, Ashley made his first recordings in February 1928 for Gennett Records with the Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers, followed by sessions for Columbia and Victor in 1929 that produced solo tracks such as "Coo Coo Bird" and "House Carpenter". The Great Depression curtailed his recording activity, but he resumed with the American Record Corporation in the early 1930s, issuing duets with harmonica player Gwen Foster. A resurgence during the folk revival of the 1960s saw Ralph Rinzler coax him back to the stage, leading to appearances at the Newport Folk Festival (1963), Carnegie Hall (1966), and tours of England with guitarist Tex Isley. Clarence Ashley died on 2 June 1967 in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina; posthumously, his 1960s recordings were added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2013, cementing his role in preserving Appalachian folk music.
