Joshua Keith Goforth was born on April 9, 1981 in Asheville, NC.  From an early age he was extremely interested in music.  At four he was singing and playing piano in church.  His family roots lie in Madison County, North Carolina, filled with rural communities steeped in old-time and religious music.  So it was natural that Josh had such a gift and interest in this art form.  In the sixth grade, he was introduced to old-time music through Sheila Kay Adams, a Madison County native and seventh generation ballad singer and storyteller.  From that time, he devoted his life to learning and preserving the heritage of his Appalachian ancestry. 

       At the age of 13, his great uncle J.C. Worley gave him his first guitar and with some help from another uncle, Robert Baker, he was playing numerous tunes after the first few weeks.  Over the next three years, he picked up other instruments such as fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and bass.  He also became involved in his school band program, playing trumpet and serving as a student leader.  When he reached high school, he was playing regularly with a group known as the Sim Top Ramblers.  The Sim Top Ramblers are a local legend in Madison County.  The band’s founder is Jerry Adams who has received national acclaim for his two-finger banjo style, which was subsequently learned by Josh.                   

        Josh was very busy throughout his high school career.  He was performing practically every night and teaching new students the art of old-time music.  In the tenth grade Russ Jordan, a local radio announcer and bluegrass music promoter, invited Josh to play in the house bluegrass band at Renofest in Hartsville, SC.  It was here that Goforth fell in love with bluegrass music.  From that time on, he has devoted his life to learning and teaching both old-time and bluegrass.  He, along with friend and musician Hilary Dirlam, formed The Lonesome Mountain Serenaders, a group comprised of local young musicians playing old-time, bluegrass, and swing music to hopefully encourage young people to take interest in their own heritage and musical background.   

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