Faculty, Staff Play Role in Documentary on W.Va.
The West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University played an important
role in the development of a new documentary, "The Appalachians," which begins airing
this weekend.
West Virginia Public Broadcasting will air "The Appalachians" beginning Sunday, May
8. Executive Producer Mari-Lynn Evans, CEO of Evening Star Productions, premiered
parts of the documentary during the 2003 West Virginia Folklife Center Gala at FS.
Fairmont State's Dr. Judy P. Byers, Director of the W.Va. Folklife Center, and Noel
W. Tenney, Cultural Specialist for the Folklife Center, among others, served as academic
consultants for the four-hour educational film. Byers; Greg Hinton, FSU Professor
of Business Law; and John Randolph, the 2003 recipient of the B.B. Maurer West Virginia
Folklife Award, were also interviewed for the project, although they may not be included
in the condensed version of the documentary.
"The Appalachians," narrated by country music singer Naomi Judd, airs on West Virginia
Public Television in three one-hour segments at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 8, May 15 and May
22. Also, the entire documentary will be aired 8 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, May 18. The
documentary features Johnny Cash (his final interview), Rosanne Cash, Loretta Lynn,
Ralph Stanley, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Kraus,
George Clooney, Nick Clooney, Marty Stuart, and The Whites.
For more information, visit www.wvpubcast.org.
