The Art of Storytelling in Appalachia
Stories have a power unlike anything else in this world. The tales of love, deceit, struggles, and victories have never failed to capture our hearts and imaginations. When I was a little girl, I remember sitting with my PawPaw and listening to him tell me stories from his childhood of growing up on a mountain farm to his experiences working with coal companies in West Virginia as an accountant, and I listened to my Nana tell her stories of growing up in a coal camp with her sisters. I loved to listen to my maternal grandparents tell the stories that they grew up with and stories from their own lives. Reflecting on those stories always gives me the comfort I felt as a child, and as I have gotten older, I still get a boundless joy out of hearing stories that remind me of home.
Photos by Rebecca Hinkle.
The stories about the Appalachian culture are stories that provide comfort, excitement, joy, wonder, and inspiration. The art of storytelling has been around for generations and in this age of technology, there has always been the question if oral storytelling would continue, and I discovered not too long ago one YouTube channel continuing the art of oral Appalachian storytelling.
The Appalachian Storyteller, Dr. JD Phillips, started his YouTube channel in 2007 as a music channel. Phillips grew up in Roane County, Tennessee, a rural community that he described as, “The type of place where one or two cars would drive down the dusty gravel road each day,”. Like many children in Appalachia, he spent a lot of time with his grandparents, Granny Tollette and Papaw Coy.
“They were both master storytellers, each in their own way,” said Phillips. “Granny’s stories were full of wisdom and life lessons while Papaw was a master in the art of spinning yarns. I was always called an old soul, even as a young boy because I enjoyed listening to the older generation so much. My father was also a great storyteller and back then, we didn’t have cable or internet, so the kids would gather around his recliner after supper each night, sitting in the floor, while he told stories of growing up, serving in Vietnam, and all of life’s journeys.”
Phillips started his YouTube channel with a focus on his music, but after encouragement from his wife, he started to share his stories. “[…] originally I was focusing on my music since I’m a lifelong musician. Yet, my wife had been pressuring me to write a book about all the stories I told. At the time, I didn’t have the courage to write a book, it seemed so formal, and even daunting. So I decided to share the stories, the same way I learned them as a boy…. by telling them.”
On his channel, Phillips tells stories about the people of Appalachia. Many of these stories are heartwarming tales of family and community, unique legendary people, and outlaws who lived throughout Appalachia. Listening to his stories, the listeners are painted a picture of the beauty of the mountains and are given a feeling of “home” in Appalachia. Over 25 million people from America, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Germany, England, South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, and several others across the world have listened to the stories on Phillips’ channel.
“People have written [to] me from all over the world telling me how much my stories mean to them. People have sent me their stories, and I tell their stories as well. I’ve learned that most people all over the world all share a common love for authentic storytelling,” said Phillips. One listener, after hearing the true story of a man named Nick Grindstaff, climbed to the top of Iron Mountain and went to the grave of Grindstaff to pay his respects. The listener later sent Phillips a video of the gravesite, something that was deeply touching to Phillips.
Oral storytelling has been passed down through the generations in Appalachian families. It was common for children to be told stories from their parents, grandparents, and other relatives. These stories are of local folklore including Indigenous Cherokee narratives, tales of the Revolutionary War, and anecdotes of the coal mining era. Not only did the stories entertain, but they taught life lessons that could be passed down from generation to generation, to our children, and to others. Phillips’ daughter, Sarah, has her own YouTube channel called The Appalachia Channel. Phillips was able to retire as a public school teacher teaching violin in December of 2023. Phillips had one of the largest orchestras in the southeastern United States and also earned a CMA Award from the Country Music Association as one of the top 20 music teachers in America in 2018. As a teacher, Phillips said that most of his students would likely tell you that what they remember the most about his classes were his stories.
“I told my grandparents' stories, my father's, and my own. I also told historical stories that sadly aren’t taught in school at all. As a teacher, I have first-hand experience at how lacking our public schools are in teaching Appalachian or even state history. I think over those 22 years of telling stories to 1000s of children in person each day, I have a keen awareness of what stories people find interesting. Even though I’m no longer a public-school teacher, I think people who listen to my stories will always come away with having learned something new. Teaching is still very important to me [through] these stories,” stated Phillips when asked about how his personal experiences and heritage influenced the stories he chose to tell.
Phillips has a book full of stories from Appalachia called The Appalachian Storyteller, published in December of 2023. Physical copies and the ebook can be purchased from his website. He has stated that he is currently working on two other books at this time. “The first focuses on the heartfelt stories of faith and family that I currently write for my daughter’s channel. And the second is based on The Appalachia’s Deadliest series that I put out on YouTube. These true stories are about some of the most ruthless outlaws that most folks have never heard of that once roamed the Appalachian Mountains,” said Phillips.
When asked what role he thought storytelling plays in preserving Appalachian culture, Phillips said, “I believe the art of storytelling is something that is becoming rare, and even rarer, are people who are willing to sit and listen. I frequently review the analytics of my YouTube channel. On average, over one million people a month tune in, and over 80% of them are over age 50. It seems that the younger generation hasn’t gained a real appreciation for history yet, and that’s ok. I think it’s natural for people to reflect back and examine where you came from once they are older. Many times, storytellers are gatekeepers of this history since this is history you can’t find on the internet.”