I was born in Henderson, KY in 1943. My father was an old time hill preacher and while in my early childhood, I travelled with him across South Central and Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee preaching in various churches. I would often accompany him and play accordion and sing in revivals, street meetings and camp meetings. It was there in Eastern Kentucky in small rural churches I heard and learned the “Appalachian” sound. Often times my accordion was the first instrument some of them had experienced, as they commonly “lined” songs and sung acappella. Some did have guitars and on rare occasions, an old out of tune upright piano.
I really cannot recall ever not knowing how to play piano which was the first instrument, along with the old pump organ of my grandmother’s, that I learned to play. Mostly I played piano and organ for church from about age four and my dad saw to it that I had piano lessons from the community’s most astute teachers that began at the early age of five. I studied classical piano until about age twelve. My music ability and talent is a gift from God for which I am so thankful and blessed. Although the study and educational aspects helped to shape my music, it never seemed to be the driving and dominating factor. Having lived most of my life in Kentucky, my roots were deep in Old Time music and I could never seem to get away from it. The haunting sounds of the echoes of lining of hymns, mournful ballads and the hard driving beat of old time wafting across the hills and hollers was in my blood and soul. In the early nineties after moving to North Carolina, I became immersed in the history and playing of the music. I travelled to fiddle conventions, workshops, porch pickins, jams and events across the Southeast. In the mid nineties I became interested in the autoharp and dulcimer. I was not serious about playing these two instruments until around 2006. I have witnessed the revival of Contra Dances which is thrilling to me and also as I travel, to watch our heritage and culture of old time music being passed along to the youth of our generation in many ways and means. I once sat backstage with Janette Carter, visited and played a few tunes at Tennessee Homecoming and I will never forget she said to me “above all, the heart must be kept in this music” Old time music is the heart of a people, their culture and way of life, telling of where we came from, where we are and where we are going. The music has a heart as Janette Carter said, and must be kept in the music which will insure it will not die out and will be around for future generations. I will be forever grateful and thankful to my parents and that of the Holiness and Pentecostal saints that were a powerful influence, in the small Kentucky town and county, where I was born. Their influence on my parents, was in large part, responsible for my finding the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, at a very early age. I cut my first tooth on the back of a pew in a little church where my parents were saved and where I accepted Christ. I was the namesake of Rev. E. Keevil Judy, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Henderson, KY. It was there in my teen years, I rededicated my life and God given talent, to serve and follow the Lord. At age three, I was stricken with Polio, a crippling, dreaded disease, with no known cure, that was rampant and raging across the nation. I experienced a miraculous healing when anointed and prayed for in the hospital, by all of my dad’s fellow ministers in the community. I was carried in and walked out and find it easy to this day, to believe the Lord for healing. Later in my early teens, I was once again, supernaturally healed and since that time, have had very little need of medical intervention. Through my teen years, I had a time of rebellion and straying, but I could never stray too far from the Lord, who had touched me and laid His hands on me, at such an early age. In 1961 in Louisville, KY, I met the love of my life, William “Bill” Sipes. We married in 1962. He crossed over to the far side bank of Jordan in 2019 and will come running through the shallow waters reaching for my hand, when I make that crossing. Our life together took us places and led us on a most remarkable, incredible journey, where we met some of the Lord’s most beloved and faithful servants. In the words of the famous happy Goodman’s song, “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing For My Journey Now”! GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND I PRAISE HIM AND GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY FOREVER - AMEN. - Judy D. Sipes
SMYTH COUNTY VIRGINIA MUSIC JAM BIO
PLACES I HAVE APPEARED AND PERFORMED
Heartwood Artisan Gallery – Abingdon, VA
Smyth County Jam – Chilhowie, VA
Shindig on the Green
Carter Fold
Mount Airy Fiddle Convention
Tazewell Fiddle Convention
Galax Old Time Fiddle Convention
Barrs Fiddle Shop – Galax Virginia
Allegheny Fiddle Convention
Happy Valley Fiddle Convention
Cranberry Thistle Jam
Canton Jam
Canton Pickin In the Park
Oconoluftee Visitor’s Center – GSMNP
Mountain State Fair
Mrs. Hyatt’s Opry House
Western North Carolina Farmer’s Market
Western Carolina University First Thursdays Jam
Tennessee Homecoming – Lantana Drifters with Charlie Acuff
Tennessee Homecoming – Abe Lincoln
Autumn Leaves Festival – Mt Airy, NC
Blue Ridge Music Center
Jackson County Contra Dance
Waynesville Contra Dance
Various Civic events, Churches, Retirement Centers
WNC University History Dept Student Video Project – 2011
Great Smoky Mountains Association promotional videos
*Assisted with organizing and leader- Oconaluftee Old Time Jam
AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS
2013 Receipant of DULCIMERVILLE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
The Mountain Dulcimer "Ambassador" Scholarship, sponsored by funds raised at '12 Dulcimerville, is a new category. JUDY SIPES of Lake Junaluska, NC, is a charming multi-instrumentalist who first heard the dulcimer in her native Kentucky and has always wanted to play it more. She is enrolled in our "Traditional Music for the Mountain Dulcimer" course.
2009 – Alleghany Fiddlers Convention – Sparta, NC – Fifth Place Autoharp
2009 – Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention – Lenoir, NC – Participant
2009 – Tazewell Fiddlers Convention – Tazewell, VA – Second Place Autoharp
2010 – Mt Airy Fiddlers Convention – Mt Airy, NC – First Place Autoharp
2010 – Tazewell Fiddlers Convention – Tazewell, VA – Fourth Place Autoharp
2010 – Galax Fiddlers Convention – Galax, VA – Participant
2013 – Tazewell Fiddlers Convention – Tazewell, VA – First Place Autoharp
ONLINE VIDEOS
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South Middleburg Baptist Church 2023
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