Pammy Lassiter and Never Too Late at Pickin’ in the Park – photos © G. Nicholas Hancock
High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association, the central North Carolina-based music club, has been in existence for 28 years. Pammy Davis Lassiter founded the musical organization in July 1997. Since then, it has been going strong and growing with a current enrollment of 259 members.
This past Saturday was a special day for Lassiter and High Lonesome Strings. During their annual free Pickin’ in the Park festival at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden, which featured regional bands, youth performers, and special guests, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Lassiter was recognized for her hard work and dedication. She is retiring from club roles.
Lassiter has held many positions in HLS. The lover of bluegras has served as a board member, handled membership, written and published the G Run Newsletter, plus gathered and posted their eBluegrass Calendar (an email that lists all bluegrass related events and news in the region).
Members of Never Too Late surprised the club founder, presenting Lassiter with a $2,800 check for her club ($100 for each of her 28 years) in her honor.
Bruce Hill, one of the three original members of Never Too Late, which formed in 2001, shared from the stage…
“With the creation of our band, I remember the first High Lonesome Strings gathering we attended here in Hagan Stone Park some 24 years ago. Pammy Davis Lassiter was a member of our band for several years, adding not only her beautiful vocals, but also her talents on the dobro. More importantly, Pammy was one of the co-founders of this bluegrass association, always warmly welcoming folks with open arms, a beautiful smile, and a passion for exposing everyone she met to bluegrass music, where musicians quickly befriended one another, new members, and fans.
As a faithful and enthusiastic leader of this association ,and after 28 years of dedicated service, we are celebrating Pammy Davis Lassiter today as she retires as a dedicated board member.
In honor of these 28 years, the Never Too Late bluegrass bandmates and their spouses have donated $2,800 to the High Lonesome Strings Association in Pammy’s name. Please join us in letting Pammy know how much we all appreciate her hard work and dedication to this association.
I know I speak for the president of our association, Elizabeth Greeson, and all the board members, when I say it’s donations like this one that help High Lonesome Strings continue to provide free festivals annually. Please continue to support High Lonesome Strings, not only with your membership dues, but also by donating additional funds on a regular basis whenever possible.”
High Lonesome Strings’ President Elizabeth Greeson added…
“HLSBA is known all over our region as a great organization that welcomes and encourages all musicians of all levels. That important piece began with Pammy Davis Lassiter!
We are all so blessed to have her on our side to encourage us, as well as make sure we have every opportunity to be surrounded by great bluegrass music.
We all want to say a big thank you to Pammy. I appreciate her. We met in 2004 at a monthly meeting at Hagan Stone. She has meant so much to our family!”
Julia Paschal, longtime HLS board member likewise shared high praise.
“Thank you Never Too Late band members, wives, and families for recognition of Pammy’s love of bluegrass bringing us together as an association. Pammy has touched so many lives with music and a ‘Hey Everybody!’ and a ‘Let’s pick!’ Love you, Pammy.”
Lassiter, a resophonic guitarist, shared some of her club’s early history.
“I was part of the founding group for the Charlotte Folk Music Society in 1985, where I discovered many new friends who had a passion for playing music just like I did. But bluegrass was what I loved the most, so after moving to the Greensboro area, meeting more bluegrass pickers and being encouraged by them, I started the High Lonesome Stings Bluegrass Association.
Membership includes monthly meetings featuring a band, followed by jamming. We also have a ‘camp and pick’ one or two times a year, along with a yearly free bluegrass festival. Our first festival was held in 1998. It was a two-day event held at Hagan-Stone Park and continued for four years featuring bands who had played for our monthly meetings.
In the winter of 2002, Doc and Richard Watson played for the club followed by Dan Crary and Beppe Gambetta in the fall at venues in Greensboro. In 2003, the first band we ever paid at the festival was the Steep Canyon Rangers.”
High Lonesome Strings helped build a permanent stage at the park located just outside of Greensboro. The stage was dedicated to Lassiter’s late husband, Clyde Davis, who had run the sound at the festival for several years. The bluegrass organization continues to host Pickin’ in the Park each May. Pammy’s husband, Big T, serves as the festival’s MC.
Big T who affectionately calls Pammy, “The Queen,” talked about this year’s festival.
“We had an incredible day of music on the Clyde Davis memorial stage at Hagan Stone Park. Thanks to the great crowd and all the youngsters who played. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Darin & Brooke Aldridge who not only played an awesome show, but also generously gave to our cause. They played with whoever we threw at them including Pammy and me. What a thrill of a life time!
Thanks to Vance Archer who received the Golden Pick Award for years of dedicated service. Thanks to Brent, David, Bruce, and Kent of the Never Too Late Band for their generous contribution to the club. Thanks to Elizabeth Greeson for always making it happen. But the highest praise goes to my wife, who for 28 years has tirelessly promoted bluegrass. Thanks, Pammy, for the untold hours you have put in to keep the club going. I thank you for making this ole bluegrass boy’s every dream come true. You’re the very best babe, and I love you!”
Following in the tradition Lassiter established, HSL presented 14 scholarships to young musicians during the festival. 2025 recipients were: Graylon Collins, Orson Cornett, AJ Dean, Alanabeth Duncan, Whitleigh McGee, Shawn Rippel, Sawyer Smith, Berkley Stewart, Lilly Anne Svrlinga, Charlie Tolbert, Peter Trakimowicz, Lydia Walls, Silas Walls, and Cora Welch.
Darin Aldridge reflected on the day.
“We always enjoy paying it forward to the next generation of bluegrass pickers and singers. We got to do just that at the Pickin’ In The Park bluegrass festival in support of the High Lonesome Strings Association this past Saturday. We truly admire their commitment to nurturing young musicians, and loved sharing in so many special moments with the younger generation. There’s nothing quite like the joy of mentoring and inspiring a kiddo with big dreams.”
High Lonesome Strings’ website includes this mission statement:
High Lonesome Strings is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting those who want to discover and share bluegrass and other forms of traditional music. High Lonesome Strings is supported by memberships and by your generous donations. High Lonesome Strings is a 501(c) corporation, so donations and dues are tax deductible. We welcome everyone who plays, promotes, or just enjoys listening to bluegrass and traditional music.
Membership to High Lonesome Strings offers The G Run, their monthly newsletter, monthly meetings which showcase a local bluegrass band followed by jam sessions for all levels of musicians, HLS free bluegrass festival, HLS bluegrass jam sessions, HLS Member Band Referral List, and youth scholarships.
For more information on High Lonesome Strings, their festival, their meetings, and their scholarships, visit their website or their Facebook page.
