World-renowned master of the acoustic guitar John Hurt, an important figure in the 1960s folk blues revival, spent most of his life doing farm work around Avalon in Carroll County and performing for parties and local gatherings. Hurt began to earn a living from music after he left Mississippi in 1963 playing at folk festivals, colleges and coffeehouses. His first recordings, 78 rpm discs released in 1928-29, are regarded as classics of the blues genre.
