Sparky and Rhonda Rucker (photo by Pam Zappardino)
Sparky Rucker was only 14 when his mother took him to his first civil rights demonstration in Knoxville, Tennessee. They joined others in circling the major downtown department store in a pray-in to demand access to the lunch counter. That was 1960. He’s been working - and singing - for justice and peace ever since. This Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, he and his wife, Rhonda Rucker, bring their music and stories to Abingdon and Emory, Virginia.
“The Acoustic Roots and Country Blues” describes the couple well: “A true American cultural treasure, the modern-day troubadour husband and wife duo of Sparky Rucker and Rhonda Rucker have been faithfully carrying on the roots and blues music as storytellers ... and blues performers for as long as a tree is tall. Today they are two of the most important voices in American traditional folk and roots and blues music. Their special connection with Appalachian people of all heritage ... leads them to perform a wide-ranging repertoire that includes spirituals/gospel, traditional Appalachian folk songs, songs of the Civil War, blues and much more.”
“Sparky and Rhonda’s music is exciting and inspirational. Their work is deeply grounded in the music and the history of African American and Appalachian communities. For over 50 years they have brought their skills to audiences across the nation,” says Rich Kirby, co-founder, June Appal Records.
Early in his career, Sparky participated in workshops at the Highlander Center with people such as Rosa Parks, Myles Horton and Bernice Reagon. As an activist, he worked with the Poor People’s Campaign and several civil rights organizations. He marched shoulder-to-shoulder with SNCC Freedom Singers Matthew and Marshall Jones and played freedom songs at rallies, marches and sit-ins alongside other folksingers such as Guy Carawan and Pete Seeger. His work for Appalachian coal miners as staff for the Council of the Southern Mountains brought him to Dickenson County, Virginia, where he worked with local activists including Helen Lewis and Beth Bingman.
Local artists Ellen and Don Elmes have known the Ruckers for years. They described Sparky as “a blues scholar and a consummate blues musician and Rhonda as an amazing keyboard and harmonica player, as well as a composer of moving and meaningful lyrics. Together their music packs the power of lived history, social justice, and exhilarating energy. They are not to be missed.”
Their performances are scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, Jan. 15 at the SJubilee House in Abingdon, Virginia, and for 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16 at Emory & Henry’s McGlothlin Center for Arts, Emory, Virginia. Their performances are sponsored by Virginia Highlands Community College, Emory & Henry College, and the Appalachian Peace Education Center.
