Music Maker Foundation

10/06/2026

📸 Lamont Lane. Fountain, NC, 2025. Tintype by Tim Duffy.

10/05/2026

Lamont Lane, a 70-year-old resident of Fountain, reflects on his experience growing up in rural NC in the 1950s.

Music Maker Editions, our new series of small collectible art books, launches October 15 - just in time for Fountain Fest! The first volume features stunning tintype portraits of Lamont Lane, a 70-year-old resident of Fountain, NC, taken by our co-founder Tim Duffy.

“These photographs grew out of the years I spent working in Fountain, NC, in a small studio where artists come to reveal themselves,” says Tim. “I knew Lamont Lane long before these sessions through the steady work of being neighbors.

"In the studio, Lamont moved in his own way, standing in the light with the strength and history carried in his body. These tintypes reflect his presence and the friendship that made this work possible."

Lamont will be at Fountain Fest on October 17 to celebrate the release of his book and sign copies. Will he see you there? Limited tickets remain, so get yours before they're gone!

🎥 Lamont Lane at a pop-up exhibit of his tintype portraits. Fountain, NC, 2026. Video by Tim Duffy.

10/02/2026

"All of them are different, showing a different view of me and my character and how I was raised up." 📸

Music Maker Editions, our new series of small collectible art books, launches October 15 - just in time for Fountain Fest! The first volume features stunning tintype portraits of Lamont Lane, a 70-year-old resident of Fountain, NC, taken by our co-founder Tim Duffy.

“These photographs grew out of the years I spent working in Fountain, NC, in a small studio where artists come to reveal themselves,” says Tim. “I knew Lamont Lane long before these sessions through the steady work of being neighbors.

"In the studio, Lamont moved in his own way, standing in the light with the strength and history carried in his body. These tintypes reflect his presence and the friendship that made this work possible."

Lamont will be at Fountain Fest on October 17 to celebrate the release of his book and sign copies. Will he see you there? Limited tickets remain, so get yours before they're gone!

🎥 Lamont Lane and Tim Duffy outside Music Maker Studios in Fountain, NC, reflecting on a display of Lamont's tintype portraits. Fountain, NC, 2026.

10/01/2026

It’s no exaggeration to say that the late Cool John Ferguson (1953-2025) was one of the greatest guitarists we’ve ever worked with - and one of our most beloved friends.

We’re proud to announce a new album of never-before-heard acoustic tracks by Cool John, recorded in 2006 by Music Maker Foundation in Hillsborough, NC.

Where Is Harold? arrives on CD, Bandcamp, and streaming services Friday, November 6!

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09/30/2026

"My daddy had 24 kids. Papa was a rolling stone, but... he kept us going. He worked every day and night." - Lamont Lane on growing up in rural NC in the 1950s

Music Maker Editions, our new series of small collectible art books, launches October 15 - just in time for Fountain Fest! The first volume features stunning tintype portraits of Lamont Lane, a 70-year-old resident of Fountain, NC, taken by our co-founder Tim Duffy.

To celebrate, Tim and Lamont recently created a "pop-up exhibit" in Fountain with images from the book. In this clip, Lamont reflects on his family and upbringing.

🎥 Lamont Lane and Tim Duffy at Lamont's "pop-up exhibit." Fountain, NC, 2026. Video taken by Tim Duffy.

09/28/2026

They're here! 📖 Watch our team unbox the first volume of Music Maker Editions at our office in Hillsborough, NC.

Music Maker Editions, our new series of tiny collectible art books, launches October 15 with a gorgeous photo book featuring Tim Duffy's tintype portraits of beloved Fountain resident Lamont Lane.

“These photographs grew out of the years I spent working in Fountain, NC, in a small studio where artists come to reveal themselves,” says Tim. “I knew Lamont Lane long before these sessions through the steady work of being neighbors.

"In the studio, Lamont moved in his own way, standing in the light with the strength and history carried in his body. These tintypes reflect his presence and the friendship that made this work possible."

Lamont will be at Fountain Fest on October 17 to celebrate the release of his book and sign copies. Will he see you there? Limited tickets remain, so get yours before they're gone!

🎥 Music Maker Foundation staff receive and unbox the first copies of Music Maker Editions: Lamont Lane. Hillsborough, NC, 2026.

09/26/2026

You might think you can dance... but can you do the Georgia Mashed Potato? 🥔

Adolphus Bell (1944-2013) of Birmingham, AL worked as a one-man band - his guitar, his voice, a harmonica on a rack, and two foot pedals, one for a bass drum and the other for high-hat cymbals.

And he was one of the most irresistible performers we ever saw. In this clip from 2006, Adolphus shows an audience one of his signature dances: the Georgia Mashed Potato.

🎥 Adolphus Bell dances the Georgia Mashed Potato. Video from the Music Maker archives.

09/25/2026

Have you listened to Hill Country guitarist Trenton Ayers' new album yet? 🔥

Taking It To The Mountain is available now from Music Maker Foundation! Order the CD at musicmaker.org, download on Bandcamp, or stream wherever you find great music.

🎥 Trenton Ayers records a track from his new album Taking It To The Mountain at Music Maker Studios. Fountain, NC, 2025. Video from the Music Maker archive.

09/24/2026

"They say the older you get, the more fun you gonna have, and I believe them now." - Cootie Stark (1927-2005)

When Music Maker co-founder Tim Duffy met Cootie Stark in the 1990s, Cootie had been playing the blues on street corners for more than 50 years. At age 70, he released his debut album on the Music Maker label. He would go on to tour with Taj Mahal and introduce audiences throughout Europe and the USA to the Piedmont blues.

🎥 Cootie Stark sings "Crying Time Again" in 1996. Video from the Music Maker archives.