Holt is well-known for his television and radio series. He served as host of The Nashville Network's Fire On the Mountain, Celebration Express, American Music Shop, and PBS' Folkways. He is a frequent guest on Hee Haw, Nashville Now, and the Grand Ole Opry. Holt says, "Television can help keep traditional music alive in the modern world by reminding people what a wonderful treasure this lore is."
Holt plays ten acoustic instruments and has released eight recordings, four containing traditional mountain music and four featuring Southern folktales. His most recent recording, I Got a Bullfrog: Folksongs for the Fun Of It features great American folksongs David has collected over the last twenty years. Grandfather's Greatest Hits received a 1992 Grammy Award nomination for "Best Traditional Folk Recording." In addition, his storytelling recordings, The Hairyman and Tailybone have both received the American Library Associations highest honor, the A.L.A. Notable Award.
In 1994 August House published Ready-To-Tell Tales by David Holt and Bill Mooney. This book brings together 41 tellable stories from the nation's best professional storytellers. David is also a regular at storytelling festivals, including the Northern Appalachian Storytelling Festival.
A native of Garland, Texas (b. 1946), Holt's family moved to Pacific Palisades, California while he was in junior high school. After graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara magna cum laude in biology and art, Holt turned toward the southeastern mountains to pursue his growing interest in traditional music and storytelling. He moved to western North Carolina and immersed himself in the vital folk culture there.
In 1975, Holt founded and directed the Appalachian Music Program at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina. Since 1981, Holt has pursued a full-time career in entertainment.
David won the 1997 Grammy Award in the "Best Spoken Word Album For Children" category for Stellaluna, an award-winning story by Janell Cannon.
Holt, along with co-producers Virginia Callaway and Steven Heller, produced and narrated Stellaluna, a tender story of a lost young bat who finally finds her way home to her mother and friends. Others nominated in the same category include Robin Williams for Jumanji, Carl Reiner for The Prince and the Pauper, and Michael York for Treasure Island.
In 2003, he won his second Grammy Award for Legacy--Doc Watson and David Holt. Click here for more information.
Contact:
High Windy ProductionsEmail David Holt
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