There’s a lot of anticipation over an album that’s expected to be released next year.
It’s going to be Gloria Harward’s 14th album!
She’s been a staple of bluegrass music for years and she lives right here in the Carolinas.
John Carter and the Carolina Camera recently caught up with her when she was performing at one of bluegrass music’s most popular venues.
You may not recognize the name Gloria Harward but if you’re a fan of bluegrass music, you’ve certainly heard of the name she goes by when she’s on stage — Carolina Rose.
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The EH Montgomery General Store in the historic town of Gold Hill is one of the prime spots for Bluegrass music in North Carolina.
At 78 years old, Carolina Rose is going stronger than ever.
No one has a more loyal following, a following built over decades in Bluegrass music.
She remembers the first time she sang professionally on the local radio station in Albemarle when she was around 12 years old.
“I was scared to death, but I loved it,” Harward said. “I mean, it was with friends and all, so it was great. The more I done it, the more I wanted to.”
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And thus began a life-long career that Rose says just came naturally to her.
She never had any formal training and bluegrass was just in her blood.
“Country music, I do the tearjerker songs,” Harward said. “Bluegrass…it’s not tear jerkers. It’s not sad. Some of it is. But what I do mostly is not sad. As you saw the other day, it’s kinda happy! (And you like that?) I like it, yea!”
Rose lives in Aquadale, just outside Albemarle, and at her home, you can see she’s received some of the highest honors in Bluegrass music.
“And in the top of it, it has a rose. And it has my name on it, Carolina Rose,” Harward said. “And they presented this to me on stage.”
She’s in the George B. Hay Society Hall of Fame. She’s been Entertainer of the Year, Artist of the Year and a documentary of her life was recently released.
She’s been commissioned a Kentucky Colonel.
She’s been written up in countless magazines and newspapers.
She’s gained quite a bit of fame.
But as Rose said, not the fortune, but that’s OK.
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“You don’t do it…or, I don’t do it for the money, I do it for the love. And I love it,” Harward said. “And people have been so good to me and so kind. They love me, a lot of them, and I love them, so I didn’t care about the money…I had money to live on.”
Rose says she plans on singing and playing as long as she’s able.
And that’s sure good news to Bluegrass fans everywhere.
“I love…there’s nothing I like better than to step on a stage, take that microphone and see the people in that audience smiling and happy. I love it. I live for it,” Harward said.