NC Musician Explores History Behind a Centuries-Old Ballad

By GAVIN VINCENT, The Courier-Tribune

ASHEBORO, N.C. (AP) — With a street name and a few local attractions in Randolph County in common, Naomi Wise is likely a familiar name to local residents.

Singer, songwriter and real estate agent Donna Hughes happened upon the story of Naomi Wise while reading through local historical maps and accounts. She zeroed in on the account written by North Carolina historian Braxton Craven about Naomi Wise and was “fascinated by her story.”

Wise as a subject has been an interesting source of folk music throughout the years, the ballad being covered by Bob Dylan, Don Watson, the band NewTown and more recently Donna Hughes.