Wade Mainer

Wade Mainer first recorded music in 1936 when he was 29 years old. Today he is still living at age 102, and still performs occasionally. He picks the banjo in an old-time style and performs songs that if you close your eyes you'll think you're back in the hills of North Carolina 100 years ago. His wife Julia, who was known in the 30's as "Hillbilly Lilly" is 90 and has been accompanying him for decades.

The picture on the top shows him in the 1930's (he's at the bottom) when he was in his brother's band "J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers." The one on the bottom shows him and his wife when they were performing at "Uncle Dave Macon Days" in Tennessee in 2002 when he was 95 years old.