Appalachian Road Show's Barry Abernath on Overcoming Adversity and Honoring His Roots

WDIY | By Neil Hever

Published June 10, 2022 at 5:12 PM EDT

Barry Abernathy of Appalachian Road Show.

Neil Hever speaks with Appalachian Road Show banjo player Barry Abernathy prior to the band’s appearance at the 41st annual Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival, which will run from June 9-12, 2022 at Mountain View Park in Wind Gap, PA.

Barry talks about the band’s deep roots in Appalachia and how he overcame an issue with his noting hand, an absence of fingers from birth, to become an accomplished banjo player. His story is inspirational, as is the journey the band members have made to create the sounds of Appalachian Road Show, honoring their roots in a modern way.

More information of the Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival is available at their website.

(Original air-date: 6/7/2022)

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Neil Hever

Neil began his radio career as a student disc jockey at Muhlenberg college radio station WMUH in 1978. After earning a B.A. degree from the college, he spent the next 13 years in commercial radio and sound production at WSAN, Creative Sound studios and later at WAEB. In 1981, while attending Muhlenberg College, he and another community member joined together to form the first organized group of community radio volunteers in the Lehigh Valley. The group began incorporation meetings in 1984 and spent the next decade building support for a new community based station. WDIY 88.1 FM began broadcasting in 1995. Neil joined the staff in August of 1997 as Program Director and was promoted to Operations Director in February 2008.

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