Lucile Barrow Turner (1895-1979)

'Cile Turner, a Southside Virginia native who resided near Lynchburg, championed African American folk music during her 50-year career as a composer, folklorist, and performer. A white, affluent, married woman, she transcended social norms as she traveled throughout the South to perform and learn work songs, dance tunes, lullabies, and spirituals. In 1930 she gained national recognition as star of the Craddock-Terry Shoe Company’s weekly radio program on NBC. She later promoted African American folk music through studio recordings and television appearances. Her casual, engaging manner and her respectful treatment of the music won praise from both black and white audiences.