The late Etta Baker of Morganton, North Carolina was born in 1913 and had been playing guitar since the age of 4. The legendary Piedmont guitarist first gained a wide following among folk music enthusiasts in the 1950s with her tracks on the groundbreaking album "Traditional Music of the Southern Appalachians." She learned much of her blues fingerpicking from her father, who was steeped in the traditional guitar styles and songs of North Carolina and Virginia.

Many of her most renowned songs and instrumentals can be heard on her CDs "One Dime Blues" (Rounder Records) and "Etta Baker and Taj Mahal (Music Maker). Until recently, Etta continued to tour, and made an annual appearance at Doc Watson's great festival, MerleFest, held each April in the hills of North Carolina. She passed away in Sept. 2006 at age 94.