[1] His work was featured on radio broadcasts for NPR and The Grand Ole Opry, and on the television program Hee Haw.
[1] Born in Haywood County, North Carolina, Best was the son of Hugh Carroll Best, Sr. and Bertie Davis Best.
He continued to accompany local public dances through his youth, developing his own unique picking style that enabled him to play melodic lines traditionally reserved for lead fiddle players.
[2] He accepted the offer and performed with the group in live concerts, radio, on television, and on record over a short period of just two months.
[3][2] He expressed gratitude and loyalty to the company for allowing him flexibility in hours to pursue musical interests outside of work; even after an accident which almost caused the loss of some of his fingers.
[3] Other musicians in the band included banjo player Zack Allen, fiddler Mack Snoderly, and guitarist Danny Johnson.
The album was compiled by musicologist Ted Olson, professor of Appalachian studies at East Tennessee State University, and includes the 1950s recordings made by Joseph Sargent Hall which were previously overlooked inside the collection at the Library of Congress.