My Epitaph (Folkways FA 2493, 1976) is part autobiography, part concert document — Ola Belle Reed recounting her upbringing in Grassy Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina, through song and spoken word. Born in 1916, Reed was a clawhammer banjo player and songwriter who carried Appalachian old-time tradition into the mid-Atlantic folk revival; her family had relocated to northeastern Maryland during the Depression, and she spent decades performing in the region before national recognition came. Her son David Reed, a multi-instrumentalist who had been performing alongside Ola Belle and her husband Bud since 1969, accompanies her throughout. Produced by Kevin Roth, the album stands as one of the most intimate documents of Reed's artistry and her role as a living bridge between mountain tradition and urban folk audiences.
Tracklist
- 1 High on a Mountain alt version 2:38
- 2 I’ve Endured Source Recording 2:34
- 3 Sing Me a Song 7:56
- 4 My Epitaph 8:10
- 5 Springtime of Life 6:08
- 6 Fortunes 6:14
