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Jim Avett On Music And Family

Jim Avett
Crackerfarm (Mike Beyer)

  For Jim Avett, music is just as much a part of life as eating and sleeping. The son of a minister and a pianist, Jim grew up singing in the church choir and playing several musical instruments. 

He gave his children the same exposure to music in their childhoods and his sons went on to form the world-renowned band, The Avett Brothers. While he is proud of their accomplishments, he maintains that no amount of fame or success will ever outweigh the importance of being​ kind, reliable people. Jim set aside his musical ambitions for a career in welding, but he has returned to his music in retirement. He will play at Merlefest on Sunday, May 1st in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Host Frank Stasio talks with Jim Avett about his music, career and family and Avett plays live. 

Laura Lee was the managing editor of The State of Things until mid February 2017. Born and raised in Monroe, North Carolina, Laura returned to the Old North state in 2013 after several years in Washington, DC. She received her B.A. in political science and international studies from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2002 and her J.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law in 2007.
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.