Aseventh-generation ballad singer, storyteller, and musician, Sheila Kay Adams was born and raised in the Sodom Laurel community of Madison County, North Carolina, an area renowned for its unbroken tradition of unaccompanied ballad singing dating back to the early Scottish, Scots/Irish and English settlers in the mid-17th century. She learned the art of ballad singing directly from elder tradition-bearers in her community. In addition to her powerful voice and deep knowledge of traditional ballads, Adams is also an accomplished clawhammer banjo player and a captivating storyteller. She began performing publicly as a teenager and has since graced stages at festivals, music camps, workshops, and storytelling events across the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Her notable appearances include the prestigious National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in both 1976 (for the Bicentennial Celebration) and 2003 (for Appalachia: Heritage and Harmony). In September, 2013, she received the nation’s highest award for the arts, The National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship Award which recognizes folk and traditional artists for their artistic excellence and efforts to conserve America's culture for future generations. In 2016, Sheila received the North Carolina Heritage Award, the state’s highest award for the arts. More recently, Sheila was recognized as a 2026 United States Artist Fellow.
