Biography
J.P. Nestor fronted a string band from rural Virginia and laid down four tracks during the 1927 session that introduced both the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers to recording. Offered further sessions in New York, he declined to make the trip and never entered a studio again. Even so, "Train on the Island" circulated widely through the region and later appeared in Harry Smith’s 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, an influential compendium of traditional songs. By avoiding a more urban life, Nestor may have gained longevity, surviving until the age of ninety-one.