DeFord Bailey: His Life and Music

Known as the “Harmonica Wizard,” Bailey was the first African American star of the Grand Ole Opry and a pioneering force whose songs helped shape the sound and spirit of country music. This celebration brings together Dom Flemons, Vania Kinard, Ryan Dooley and our special guest Christine Bailey Craig, daughter of DeFord Bailey, to reflect on his remarkable life story. We are honored to welcome Christine Bailey Craig who will share personal stories, family history, and insights into growing up with her father. Her presence offers a rare and heartfelt connection to DeFord’s personal life as a father and it gives her an opportunity to share more of her own story. Through dynamic conversations, archival materials, and musical context, this event uplifts the story of a trailblazer whose brilliance continues to inspire new generations. Join us as we celebrate DeFord Bailey’s life, honor his impact, and ensure his legacy continues to shine forever.
Speakers
Christine Bailey Craig is the daughter of DeFord Bailey and she is a retired school teacher along with a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She was born and raised in Nashville but currently lives in Chicago. She is close friends with Author/Historian David Morton and she continues to keep her father's legacy alive by sharing his life story with everyone she meets.
Dom Flemons “The American Songster®" is a GRAMMY Award Winning musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, scholar, historian, actor, slam poet, record collector, curator, podcaster, cultural commentator, influencer, and the creator, host, and producer of the American Songster Radio Show on WSM in Nashville, TN. He has won many prestigious awards and has been inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025. Flemons is a Co-Founder and original member of the groundbreaking Carolina Chocolate Drops. He has been featured in dozens of museums and exhibits and he has a collection at Vanderbilt University and UNC Chapel Hill.

Vania Kinard is Dom Flemons wife, manager, and creative collaborator. She is a consultant, digital creator, curator, entrepreneur, photographer, producer, world traveler, and writer. Kinard is a Co-Host and Producer on the American Songster Radio Show which airs on WSM. Her curatorial experience includes working with the Artistic Director at the 2020 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, Nevada on an exhibit at the Western Folklife Center called African American Western Pioneers: Past and Present. Recently, she was the Curator of the Westward Bound: African American Country Music History & Cowboy Lore exhibit at the Berkeley Public Library.

Ryan Dooley is a music historian living in Nashville. He studied bluegrass, old time, and country music at East Tennessee State University and received his MA in History from Middle Tennessee State University. Dooley’s area of focus is on Atlantic history and the music of enslaved peoples in the Americas. Ryan is the Senior Curator of Music at the Tennessee State Museum.

This Lunch and Learn event is in-person in the Museum’s Digital Learning Center at 12:00. No RSVPs are required to attend this free event. It will also be livestreamed on the Museum’s website at TNMuseum.org/Videos. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] lunches made by Apple Spice Nashville are available for purchase for $12.24 to enjoy during the event. The lunches will include a sandwich, chips, and a cookie. Lunch orders must be placed by noon on Tuesday December 9, 2025. Please order your boxed lunch on the ticket registration page.

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