Types of Concerts

David Holt is a four-time Grammy Award winner and exciting performer on stage, radio and television. North Carolina audiences know him from his popular long-running PBS FOLKWAYS series. David is recognized as one of the nation’s foremost folk musicians and storytellers. For 35 years he has been collecting and performing the music of the old time Southern mountaineers. His passion for traditional music and culture has fueled a successful performing and recording career.

For booking, contact Betty Nichols:

office@davidholt.com   tel: 828-628-1728

David Holt, Po Box 28, Fairview, NC 28730


David Holt solo concert:

There is something special about experiencing a solo performance with David. He weaves songs, humor and stories together with awe-inspiring musicianship. Audiences are intrigued with a wide array of instruments, both familiar and unusual, from banjo and slide guitar to hambone, spoons, bones, jaw harp, and even paper bag. The Asheville Citizen Times says, “David Holt could ring music out of a stump.” Vogue magazine called him “the best minstrel and storyteller.” After performing for over a million people David is a consummate entertainer who knows what audiences enjoy.


David Holt and the Lightning Bolts:

David Holt and the Lightning Bolts enlivens old-time music with a new time jolt. The band, David Holt, Josh Goforth, Laura Boosinger, Byron Hedgepath and Jeff Hersk, bring a sound that is full, driving and energetic. The wide diversity of ages, styles and dynamic personalities gives the Lightning Bolts the spark that keeps their music fresh, fun and fired up. “The musicianship is impeccable. Their concerts resonate with energy from start to finish” Singout! Magazine


David Holt & Josh Goforth: A Two Man Tornado of Tunes and Tales

David Holt and acoustic music star Josh Goforth join together to bring the joy and spirit of old time mountain music and stories to life.

They combine the virtuosic sounds of guitar, banjo, fiddle, slide guitar, mandolin with a world of exciting rhythm instruments. Josh is descended from many of the old-timers David learned from in the late 1960s in Lonesome Mountain, NC. Audiences of all ages are treated to a show exploding with creative energy, fun and amazing musicianship.

Goat Glands and Banjo Bands: The True Story of Dr. John R. Brinkley as told by David Holt

David Holt brings to life the amazing story of this country’s most successful charlatan, Dr. John R. Brinkley who changed American culture forever.

Born into poverty in the mountains of Western North Carolina in 1885, John Brinkley moved to Kansas where he purchased a questionable medical license and began implanting goat glands into impotent men. Before long, men were coming from all over the country, goats in tow, and Brinkley was making millions of dollars during the Great Depression. Moving to Texas he built the most powerful radio station in the world, the million-watt XERA, so powerful it covered the entire North American continent. It was this station that brought the nation the sounds of folk and country music for the first time and later raw blues and created the format for modern radio.Enjoy true history, captivating storytelling, raucous humor, timeless music and vintage photographs as you follow larger-than-life John Brinkley’s fantastic rise to his tragic end in a memorable evening with David Holt.

Sutton, Holt and Coleman

There is a deep river of traditional music running through North Carolina. Grammy Award winners David Holt, Bryan Sutton,and T. Michael Coleman  explore the richness of that musical culture.

Each has been inspired by  and performed with Doc Watson over the years and honor his musical genius. “Doc was a primary influence on all three of us and we want to follow his lead in performing a wide range of traditionally based songs and tunes that really reach out and grab a crowd.”

Individually and collectively Sutton, Holt and Coleman bring new creativity to an ageless tradition.