Heartwarming Recording artists The Cockman Family of Sherrill’s Ford, NC has been recently honored with The Community Traditions Award from The North Carolina Folklore Society. This award honors contributions of groups and organizations to folklife and traditional culture in North Carolina. community traditions.
For the past 20 years The Cockman Family of Cattawba County has played and sung traditional bluegrass gospel all over the country. John Cockman, Sr. is the son of a Methodist Preacher and met Jane Cockman when she was playing piano for church services. Their common interest in music was shared with their children when they were young. Today John, Jr. (fiddle), Billy (banjo), Carolina Cockman Fisher (lead vocals), David (bass), and Ben (mandolin) form the usual line-up, but there are three generations of musicians in the family who often join their parents and grandparents onstage. The music of the Cockman Family incorporates tight harmony singing and skillfully arranged instrumental breaks. The Cockmans also deserve recognition for their efforts to encourage the growth and continuation of traditional music. Several of the band members teach music in the community and every year the band is the host for the fiddler’s convention at Union Grove, one of the oldest continuously operated fiddler’s conventions in the country. It is partially due to their efforts as hosts and administrators that the festival has been able to keep going. The family has won numerous awards from the Gospel Music Association of America, and was the recent subject of an American Public Television Christmas Special.
The Cockman Family is currently working on their new project for the Homeland/Heartwarming label which will showcase the family harmony and instrumentations in a variety of Mountain Southern Gospel and Bluegrass Gospel. You can find more information about the Cockman Family at www.homelandentertainmentgroup.com or www.cockmanfamily.com
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