[1] From 1962 to 1974, Boarman's Hedgesville barber shop, out of which he ran a music store and instrument workshop,[2] was a popular hangout for musicians from throughout the Southeastern United States.
He subsequently became a full-time musician in the mid-1970s, releasing his first album in 1978, and was a popular performer at state fairs and music festivals across West Virginia.
He frequently declined invitations from a number of musical groups to join them on national tours, preferring to remain in his native state.
Nevertheless, Boarman eventually gained national recognition being profiled by numerous publications including, most notably, Banjo Newsletter, Goldenseal, and Grit.
"[5] Andy Boarman was born on October 11, 1911, in Falling Waters, West Virginia, and spent much of his childhood in the "apple orchard country" of Berkeley County.
His great-grandfather Rear Admiral Charles Boarman (1795–1879) played a role in the succession of West Virginia and was later appointed to the U.S.
Ada Lee Stump played clawhammer-style five-string banjo,[9] upright bass, piano, and organ in a family band with three of Andy's uncles and two aunts.
Andy also credited his cousin Charles Boarman for introducing him to the autoharp, an instrument he would later become most associated with, as well as "a few pointers" from local Falling Waters musician Conley Hoover.
In 1929 and 1930, Boarman traveled with ukulele player Andy Jones and played the 5-string banjo and fiddle at square dances around Canowing and Peachbottom, Maryland.
The group initially played for local barn and square dances traveling between gigs by "Model T, horse and buggy, or the 'shoe leather express'."
In order to support his growing family, Boarman put his musical career on hold and went to work during height of the Great Depression.
After 20 years, Boarman returned to the music scene when bluegrass festivals began playing at Watermelon Park at the end of the decade.
The barbershop attracted many traditional and bluegrass musicians who were free to practice their music and listen to Boarman's "engaging stories".
Crowe, Little Roy Lewis, Sonny Osborne, Don Reno, Darrell Sanders, Blaine Sprouse, and Jim Steptoe, as well as U.S.
The Southern Sounds of Grass were co-founded by Ron Amos and Boarman's future son-in-law Roger "Smokey" Dayley in his barbershop.
[4] He recorded "Somewhere in West Virginia" for a television segment with former reporter Carl Fleischhauer on Mountain Scene Tonight which aired on September 29 and October 3, 1975.
[3] Boarman recorded his first album, Mountain State Music (1978), which featured traditional banjo playing on one side and autoharp on the other.
It was favorably reviewed by a critic for Bluegrass Unlimited who found the banjo portion "particularly satisfying" but was less enthusiastic about the autoharp music.
[17][18] With the participation of Dr. William E. Lightfoot of Appalachian State University, the documentary presented Boarman's life as "an active bearer of folk traditions".
In 1988, Boarman was invited to participate in a special Augusta Heritage Center apprenticeship program at Davis & Elkins College.
Rosewood, a heavy, dense wood often used in expensive furniture, lines the banjo's inner box to give it a clearer tone.
When the banjo body is finished, Boarman uses dentist tools to inlay intricate designs of abalone and mother of pearl.
Dr. Ivan Tribe, assistant history professor at Rio Grande College, called Boarman "the most noted" of several prominent banjo and bluegrass musicians to come out of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
To carry it a step further, Andy plays below the chord bar assembly because he prefers the sound that results from the stronger string tension in that area.
When he performed on stage, Andy would rest the autoharp on a barrel (55 gallon metal oil drum, to be exact) perforated with sound holes to further enhance the tone of the instrument.
Jeff Chestnut of The Ramblers cited Boarman as a major influence and praised him as "a true West Virginian legend".
[28] As a result of his teaching, Boarman has exerted considerable influence on bluegrass and folk music in West Virginia.