Wednesday Trivia Question

Who hosted the special THIS TIME EACH YEAR?

PBS North Carolina has, in its decades of operation, produced hundreds of programs. Some were ongoing series and some were one-offs. Many became local classics and got encore presentations and repeats for years after the initial broadcast. Others came and went without much of a noise. One of the perennials was a special called THIS TIME EACH YEAR which first aired in 1986 and reran multiple times over the decades since (a 2016 airing seems to have been its last). Ultimately it was a celebration of the festivals, fairs and gatherings that occur annually in North Carolina.

Here’s part of a description with an important detail left out: Native Americans dancing the eagle dance, kilted Scots playing bagpipes, farmers hollering, children clogging–all North Carolina activities, all rich in history, and all part of THIS TIME EACH YEAR, an hour special. THIS TIME EACH YEAR is colorful. It’s fun. It’s as easy-going as host [name withheld], the popular North Carolina balladeer. But it’s something more. It’s an affectionate look at old, strong ties between North Carolina’s festivals and the sturdy heritage of her people.

Some of the festivals featured were the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, the Hollerin’ Contest at Spivey’s Corners and the State Fair in Raleigh, all of which are shining examples of the type of annual traditions focused on in this special. As you can imagine if you’ve never seen it, the show appealed to North Carolinians of all ages and across all cultures and interests. That’s why it received repeat broadcasts for nearly 30 years!

Still, the question remains: who was the host? There’s an obvious hint in the description but I’ll tell you the host is a North Carolina singer-songwriter and musician whose music blends rock, folk, pop, country and bluegrass. He released records and toured for decades (unfortunately ill health has sidelined him in recent years) and I remember we even broadcast a concert performance of his in the early 1980s so you may have seen that if you’re a loooong-time viewer.

So who is it? Who hosted the 1986 special THIS TIME EACH YEAR?