Murphy Campbell is an old-time ballad singer and banjo player with deep roots in the Toe River Valley Region of western North Carolina. Murphy has continually preserved ballads from her personal family tree and community.

The Toe River Valley is the lush western North Carolina region that sits in the northern shadow of Mount Mitchell and covers Yancey and Mitchell counties. These counties have a rich, complex history of old ballads and tunes passed down through generations. These geographical and hereditary threads anchor young balladeer Murphy Campbell to her native region and sound. She pairs her family’s haunting ballads with her own unique banjo style, creating a thoughtful reflection on tradition, narrative, and place. Murphy will be presenting and teaching her family’s songs from the Toe River Valley in Floyd on October 17th, 2026.

Appalachian Ballads of the Toe River Valley – A Workshop with Murphy Campbell