Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Roy Parsons

Ocracoke native, Roy Parsons, is 83 years old and a beloved island "character." He performs regularly on guitar & harmonica at the Wednesday night Ocracoke Opry. He helps his wife, Elizabeth, at their shop, "Pamlico Gifts," down point just past the lighthouse. He builds boat models (schooners, trawlers, sloops, etc.). Roy tells stories -- quirky, funny stories. He loves poems and often speaks in rhyme. His eyes sparkle, and he smiles easily. You can often spot Roy peddaling his bicycle along Highway 12.

A Journal reader recently posted the following message:

"I met Roy and Elizabeth in October after hearing him at the Ocrafolk Opry, and Roy is making a boat for me. I took photos of him and have created a web site that tells a little about him. The best thing about his model boats is that he knows the boat he is building, and he can tell you a story about it. Roy is a real Ocracoke treasure!"

You can view the web page here: http://www.magicriverwv.com/Roy_Parsons/


2 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:52 AM

    Thanks for the article and web page about Roy Parsons. He is such an interesting character! We enjoyed meeting and talking with him last June when we were there. GramTuna

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  2. Roy is awesome. In a college course I teach, I always use two tracks he sings on the "Ocrafolk" CD as examples of folksongs and folksinging. Meeting him this summer was a real treat. He sat down and popped in a CD and sang along the entire time we were shopping. Next year when we visit, I'm going to have him autograph my CD, and ask him to yodel for me. Too. Cool.

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