Known as “The American Songster” Dom Flemons is a Grammy Award winner, but also a multi-instrumentalist, folklorist, historian, and one of the leading voices in American roots music today. With a repertoire that spans more than a century of American traditions (folk, country, blues, Black string band music and cowboy ballads).

As a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Flemons helped revive African American string band music, earning a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album with Genuin Negro Jig. Since launching his solo career, he has continued to spotlight underrepresented narratives in American music, especially those of Black musicians and cowboys. His critically acclaimed album Black Cowboys blends archival research with creative reinterpretation, presenting a nuanced portrait of the Old West rarely heard in mainstream narratives.

Flemons is a master of the banjo, guitar, harmonica, rhythm bones, quills, and more. He has performed with artists such as Taj Mahal, the Old Crow Medicine Show, and Mike Seeger, and has worked with institutions like the Smithsonian and Library of Congress to promote historical equity in the arts.

Through projects like Making American Music and The Year of the Folk Singer, Dom Flemons continues his mission to preserve and elevate marginalized voices in American history, reminding audiences that traditional music is not just a sound from the past, but a living, evolving narrative of who we are.

Experience the heartbeat of America’s musical roots, brought to life by one of its most passionate voices at the Light Hall Theater this October 2nd!