Those around Brattleboro who remembeer the Chelsea House will remember Sparky Rucker from his many visits there in the ‘70s. The Chelsea House may be gone, but Sparly and 
his wife, Rhonda, are back for a house concert on Nov. 5.
Sparky and Rhonda’s music includes a variety of old-time blues, Appalachian music, slave songs, and spirituals as well as originals, and they accompany themselves with fingerstyle picking and bottleneck blues guitar, blues harmonica, old-time banjo, piano, spoons, and bones.
The Ruckers also weave American history, traditional storytelling, and humor into their concerts, and they have been featured tellers at the International Storytelling Center and Festival.
Rhonda recently released a novel, “Swing Low, Sweet Harriet,” poignant read about slavery, the Civil War, and strking a blow for one’s liberty through the eyes of a 13-year-old slave as he meets Harriet Tubman.
The two put on a not-to-be-forgotten concert.
“They really raised the roof. I’ve watched Sparky fine tune his performance over the years and he’s reached the pinnacle of his art. Sparky and Rhonda flawlessly work together and really embody the essence of folk music. They held the audience in their thrall like a revival meeting” says Rich Warren, host of Folkstage and The Midnight Special on WFMT in Chicago, IL
Over forty years of performing, Sparky and Rhonda have performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as well as NPR’s On Point, Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage, and Morning Edition. Their recording, Treasures & Tears, was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award, and their music is also included on the Grammy-nominated anthology, Singing Through the Hard Times.
Sparky and Rhonda are sure to deliver an uplifting presentation of toe-tapping music spiced with humor, history, and tall tales. They take their audience on an educational and emotional journey that ranges from poignant stories of slavery and war to an amusing rendition of a Brer Rabbit tale or their witty commentaries on current events. Their music includes a variety of old-time blues, slave songs, Appalachian music, spirituals, ballads, work songs, Civil War music, railroad songs, and a few of their own original compositions.
For more information about this incredibly talented duo, check out their website at http://www.sparkyandrhonda.com or call George or Ellie at the number below.
To get directions and a seat at the concert, e-mail George and Ellie at family@carvill.net or call them at 802-490-2052.
Suggested donation $15 – $20. The house is not wheelchair accessible.
