Biography
Born in 1929 in Johnston County, North Carolina, Algia Mae Hinton made her mark as a Piedmont blues performer. Her mother, Ollie O'Neal, stood out locally for musical prowess so remarkable that rumors of a pact with the devil circulated widely; Hinton took up guitar at nine and, in her teens, became a staple at nearby dances and house parties. She also shone as a buckdancer, though seasonal farm labor defined much of her working life. After her husband died young, she raised their seven children single-handedly. Hinton reached professional stages only in 1978, beginning with the North Carolina Folklife Festival before appearing at the National Folk Festival, the Chicago University Folk Festival, and Carnegie Hall; the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award followed in 1992. Her debut LP, Honey Babe, arrived in 1999. She passed away at home in Middlesex, North Carolina, in February 2018, aged eighty-eight.
Albums