Down By Mabry's Mill
Contact Information
Bob Phillips (910) 308-0113
cumberlandcountyline@gmail.com
Facebook.com/CCL.Bluegrass/
About "Down By Mabry’s Mill"
Written by John Harrell
This song tells the lifelong love story of Charlie Holley (1896-1966) and Joyce Shively (1911-2004) and a special place in their lives known as Mabry’s Mill. The mill, built around 1908, sits in the beautiful rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Floyd County, Virginia. It was there Charlie and Joyce spent many hours holding hands and talking about their future together. Charlie and Joyce raised a family in a little home he built for them in the hills of Franklin County, Virginia. They held on to each other until a fatal heart attack in 1966 took Charlie at the age of 69. The sudden loss of Charlie was devastating to Joyce but she held on to the knowledge that they would meet again one day. As the years slipped by, she would talk about the “old days” more often. At times, she would just sit in her rocking chair and look out at the fields as if she was patiently waiting for Charlie to come take her home. Thirty-eight years after Charlie suddenly left her, at the age of 93 Joyce met Charlie again, “Down By Mabry’s Mill”.
About the CD: "The Road I Traveled" is a collection of 6 originals* and 6 traditional classics: The Road I Traveled*, Spanish Grass, Poor Boy Blues*, You're The Girl Of My Dreams, Deep Water*, Red Clay Halo, House of Gold, Up And Down The Mountain, The Killin' Of Kelli Bordeaux*, Down By Mabry's Mill*, How Hank Felt*, Whiskey Before Breakfast.
Recorded in 2019 and produced by Skip Cherryholmes (Sideline) at Old Stage Recording Studio in Garner, North Carolina. In addition to producing, Skip also contributed the guitar work on “Spanish Grass”. Other musicians helping to make this CD extra special were Gerald Bozarth, and two current members of Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road, Matt Hooper and Randy Graham. Gerald contributed the banjo work for “The Road I Traveled” and “The Killin’ of Kelli Bordeaux”. Matt contributed the twin fiddle on several songs and the lead fiddle on “Up and Down the Mountain” and “How Hank Felt”. Randy (founding member of The Bluegrass Cardinals) contributed the tenor on “Up and Down the Mountain”.