It is with sadness we mark the passing of George Pearis Reynolds of Knoxville, Tennessee, March 14, 2024.  George maintains a special place in the hearts of all those who came in contact with him as the former Director of the Foxfire Music program and as a music teacher in Rabun County’s and Knoxville’s public schools.

Through his years of music and folklore instruction at Foxfire and the publication of Foxfire’s books, George was instrumental in introducing thousands of students world-wide to the instruments and melodies of his beloved Appalachia.

A native of West Virginia, George was descended from families that traced their roots to the original Anglo-Scots settlers of the region.  In his obituary published in the Knoxville News Sentinel it was noted that George was devoted to his students and through his instruction helped them gain an appreciation of their culture and heritage.  He considered his life-long work of sharing his knowledge and love of music and Appalachian folklore one of the greatest accomplishments.

George was gifted with an extraordinary voice, which he used to share the music from the mountains he loved.  With several of his students, he formed “The Foxfire Boys” bluegrass band in the early 1980s which continues to perform today throughout the Southeast.  Under his management The Foxfire Boys had their premier radio performance on The Grand Ole Opry on Radio WSM Nashville, Tennessee and also had the honor of representing America’s Appalachian region in cultural performances at the Olympic Games in Norway and in Atlanta, GA. in the 1990s.

George is survived by Mary Thom Adams, Frank Pierce Reynolds and Karen Edwards.  They said, “We believe that singing for George is the most special way to honor him and to celebrate his life.  Please sing in your yard, by a stream, in your living room, by yourself or with others you know who knew and cared for him.  Tell tales – tall and otherwise – laugh and cry.  There will be people singing for him all over the mountains of his beloved Appalachia.”

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The supplemental music instruction is offered by the Southern Highland Music Foundation, a 501 C3 non-profit organization based in Clayton, Georgia and directed by its CEO, Tom Nixon.

“High Performance ’24” is a successful combination of traditional music teaching methods augmented by Peer-to-Peer student interaction where sharing knowledge with others and peer encouragement are emphasized much like the successful Foxfire program that was initiated here in Rabun County more than 50 years ago.”

Nixon, an alumnus of the Foxfire program, has been teaching music for more than two decades in his role as director of the Blue Ridge Music Academy in Clayton.

He said, “It’s very rare to have a music performance instruction program offered in the public schools. Back in 2019 our SHMF Board of Directors voted to initiate this Peer-to-Peer program to help students explore their interests in a wide variety of music styles and genres while learning the basics of music theory and instrument techniques. In addition to learning more about the music they love, they also learn the basics of working in a professional music studio and how to organize music concerts and performances including stage setup, sound systems and lighting.”

“High Performance ’24” will culminate at the end of the school year with production of a CD recorded at Blue Ridge Music’s professional recording studios. The CD will be comprised of Rabun County student arrangements and performances.

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