Addie Graham

Who was Addie Graham?

Addie Prater Graham, was born 1900 in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, was a masterful traditional singer whose life and repertoire reflect both deep tradition and an era of social change in the Appalachian Mountains. She sang ballads which trace back to the British Isles, others composed in America, frolic songs and ditties, and religious songs in the Old Regular Baptist tradition. While the Old Baptist belief of her parents forbade the use of musical instruments, she became an accomplished singer in the complex, highly ornamented style of Kentucky's oral tradition.

Addie’s repertoire included several extremely uncommon songs, including “We're Stole and Sold From Africa,” an anti-slavery song which seems to have originated in the antebellum Abolitionist movement. She also sang a number of songs of African-American origin, many of which she learned from black railroad builders.

Addie married Amos Graham, a native of Wolfe County, KY, and lived for many years in Breathitt County, KY. Eventually the family moved to Cynthiana, Harrison County, KY, where she died on April 1, 1978.