Do we really need another folk singer in today’s turbulent times to remind us of our plight? Martha Myers thinks so. Her Cape Fear Concerts series is presenting multi-instrumentalist and songwriter John McCutcheon in a performance to benefit the Southport-Oak Island Interchurch Fellowship Food Pantry in November.

A master of a dozen different traditional instruments, most notably the hammered dulcimer, McCutcheon has recorded more than 30 albums and has been nominated for six Grammies. "We are proud to present such a world class performer to our area," states Myers.

From his rural roots in America’s heartland, McCutcheon has emerged as one of the nation’s most respected and loved folksingers. During his college years he discovered some old Folkways records. "When I realized that these artists were still alive, I decided I wanted to learn all I could about them, from them," he explains. So as a 19-year-old kid, he stuck out his thumb and headed for Appalachia, and his musical sojourn had begun.

You learn about this music by going into people’s homes and going with them when they play at dances, in churches or on the picket line," he explains. "And the more I did this, the more I understood that this music isn’t just about putting your finger on the right part of your instrument, singing the right note or writing the right word."

Although many of his songs focus on political and socially conscious material, McCutcheon is also an acclaimed children’s book author and appears regularly at the National Storytelling Festival. "People of every generation and background seem to feel at home whenever he performs," explains Myers. "His performances have brought his music into the lives of one of the broadest audiences any folk musician has ever enjoyed."

For all that he has accomplished, McCutcheon is above all else a performer. "My work isn’t based on any particular album or hit single," he explains. "Rather, it comes from playing in theaters, clubs and anywhere else I can get together with an audience. And the audience, on the best nights, lets me in."

In some ways the journey John McCutcheon began many years ago is still ongoing.

He continues to draw from history, the people he meets and places he travels, and frames them all with reflections of the concerns of our time. McCutcheon is a shining example of the perfect modern folk musician, one that we can’t do without.

John McCutcheon is scheduled to perform at Southport’s Saint Peter Lutheran Church on Friday, November 20th, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show. For more information call 842-5160 or go to capefearconcerts@gmail.com.