Dom Flemons - Honoring Black History
Dom Flemons (1982-present) is an old-time, neo-country, and blues renaissance artist, playing many instruments, singing, writing songs, and acting with a talent and candor that cannot be duplicated. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, becoming acquainted with folk, blues, and rock and roll by listening to his parents’ records.
As a teenager he played percussion in his high school band and his guitar and harmonica in coffee shops in the area, setting the stage for future busking performances of his young adulthood. Flemons went on to attend Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona for a degree in English. It was there that a young Dom met Súle Greg Wilson, a local folklorist, percussionist, and banjo player. Wilson mentored Dom, educating him on all things American folk and blues while aiding the development of his playing style.
Flemons took his knowledge to the first Black Banjo Gathering in 2005 where he collaborated with the future members of the Grammy award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops. The band emerged from both the Gathering and the prosperous Sankofa Strings, an ensemble band featuring Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, Súle Greg Wilson, and occasionally Justin Wilson.
Dom went on to record five albums and one EP with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, opening for Taj Mahal and performing on the stages of Bonnaroo and A Prairie Home Companion. Their 2010 album, Genuine Negro Jig, earned them a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album.
After leaving the band in 2013, Flemons released solo albums with modern, inspired takes on historical works and performed across the globe, from Carnegie Hall to Malaysia. He continues to perform and record today, and hosts a podcast, The American Songster, when he’s not on stage.