Beth Hartness

Raised on a tobacco farm in Caswell County, North Carolina, Beth Williams Hartness began singing and taught herself to play the guitar at age twelve, influenced by her mother's passion for early 1960s folk music. Beth was first introduced to old-time music in the 1980s while living in Charlotte, North Carolina, and during this time she was a founding member of the Charlotte Folk Music Society, serving as vice president and festival organizer. Beth has been a member of numerous award-winning string bands. Her unique, fingerpicking style of back-up guitar is featured on several of Adam Hurt’s recordings as well as the Young Fogies II, Marvin Gaster’s Uncle Henry’s Favorites, Erynn Marshall’s Greasy Creek, and others. She has taught guitar workshops and provided jam support at festivals and music camps and has often served as a contest judge at events such as the Tennessee Valley Fiddlers Convention and the Appalachian String Band Festival (Clifftop).