Lightnin’ Wells

Location: R.A. Fountain

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Lightnin’ Wells at Fountain Fri. Nt. 

[Fountain, NC] Lightnin’ Wells returns to Fountain General Store Friday night for a concert of blues and early Americana music.

         Wells, who was born in West Virginia, grew up in Goldsboro where he started playing music in local bands as a teenager. He has lived just of outside of Fountain for nearly a decade now, from where he travels to gigs across the U.S. and Europe. 

         Best known as a bluesman, Wells also performs from a variety of traditions and styles, said Alex Albright, Fountain General Store proprietor: “Lightnin’s shows are always fun and always full of songs that are new to him, which means they were originally recorded sometime in the early twentieth century. He plays Piedmont and Delta blues, early vaudeville and hokum, country, early 20th century pop, gospel, and old-time songs. Expect a full evening’s entertainment.”

         Wells performs at Fountain twice a year, shows he enjoys not just for the crowds and the old brick-and-wood building’s acoustic resonance. “This is one of the few places where he can bring nearly all of his instruments,” said Albright, “and he’s an excellent performer on them all.” A typical Wells performance will find him playing acoustic and resonator guitars, three kinds of ukuleles, banjo, mandolin, and harmonica.

         Lightnin’ Wells has released seven CDs of original productions of vintage songs, including his most recent, “O Lightnin’ Where Art Thou?” which was recorded on the German label Blind Lemon Records.

Tags: blues, Delta blues, folk, gospel, guitar, harmonica, hokum, old-time, Piedmont blues