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There are as many empty seats as there are dusty photos lining the walls — and there are innumerable photos. Of those in the audience, voices are hushed and ears tuned to the sounds radiating from the stage, only to clap enthusiastically when each song comes to a joyous close. Mountain music involves respect, ‘ patience and a keen awareness to the art of listening, something patrons always seems to know when entering the venue. His backing group includes other local musical heroes, including a 17-year-old fiddle/vocal prodigy from nearby Robbinsville named Julie Nelms. Fairchild swears he’s “never heard a tone like that come from a human being.” “It’s not everyday some random 17-year-old can get onstage and play with a legend,” she said. “It’s truly been a blessing for me, and I hope
the Opry House can be a blessing for other people.” Placing his banjo strap over his shoulder, Fairchild graciously walks onstage, saluting the faces staring back at him, only to jump right into the music. “I think what makes this music special is that a college man can understand it, and a fool can understand it. But, the music they play today, nobody can understand it,” he said. “The youngsters are growing up with all these electric sounds, and you tell them to play a tune, and they play it, then they look at you and want you to say it’s good, but hell, you don’t even know what they played.” Also playing with the back-up band that night was Kevin Kaiser on spoons and drum brushes, a visiting musician from Indiana. Back home he performs with symphonies in Indianapolis, alongside some of the
world’s finest and most acclaimed soloists. But, there’s just something about Fairchild he can’t shake, something that’s provoked Kaiser to think about relocating to Maggie Valley just to be able to perform and live among the culture he finds so mesmerizing. “I kept hearing about the Opry House, and I finally came down to check it out for myself,” Kaiser said. “Well, by my second day here I was in the band, playing onstage with Raymond. He has a purity that the greatest soloists on the planet only wish they could possess. This music has to live on because music today has no soul. When he’s gone, it’s gone.” First performing alongside Fairchild some 17 years ago, mouth harp/harmonica player Danny Blythe continued down his own path for years, only to come full circle a few