County honors ‘Appalachian Storyteller’
Anderson County Commissioner Anthony Allen honors “Appalachian Storyteller” YouTuber JD Phillips with a proclamation. (photo:Ben Pounds )
“I’ve been contacted by people in every country that has access to the internet,” he said.
His channel includes videos about outlaws, sack dresses, “granny witches,” music, moonshine, peanuts and Coke, Rock City, the Coal Creek War, one-room schoolhouses and the New River Train, among other topics. It’s available to watch at youtube.com/@TheAppalachianStoryteller.
The Anderson County Commission at its June 16 meeting declared Friday, June 20, as The Appalachian Storyteller Day in his honor.
Commissioner Anthony Allen read a proclamation detailing Phillips’ life and accomplishments.
Phillips grew up in the Mississippi Delta and got a doctorate in music education at Boston University.
He taught in Shelby County before teaching for 10years at Jefferson Middle School and Oak Ridge High School.
He led the ORHS Orchestra to 19 national championships, and the Country Music Association named him one of the top music teachers in the U.S. in 2018.
He started his Appalachian Storyteller YouTube channel in 2007 and also shares videos to Facebook, covering history and culture of the Appalachian region.
“His brand has more than a half-million followers, combined with over 50 million views from around the world,” Allen said.
“JD Phillips now spend his career pouring his talents into visually and musically conveying the stories of the people and places of Southern Appalachia.”
Phillips has written four books: “The Appalachian Storyteller,” “The Appalachian Storyteller, Volume II” and “The Appalachian Storyteller for Kids.”
A fifth book is on the way for September release.
“Our hope is that the stories he shares have a lasting impact for generations to come,” Allen said.
Phillips said he’d written from 30 to 40 pieces on Anderson County specifically, including Clinton, Oak Ridge and Oliver Springs.
