Elizabeth LaPrelle has been performing Appalachian ballads and old-time songs since she was eleven. Her magnificent voice, her respect for the songs, and her authentic mountain sound and style brought her to the attention of first Ginny Hawker and then Sheila Kay Adams. Raised in Rural Retreat, Virginia, Elizabeth attended old time fiddlers’ conventions and sang harmonies with her family, who taught her traditional singing styles and encouraged her to sing their own favorite American folk music. She received her undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary with a major in Southern Appalachian Traditional Performance, and now tours the US regularly both performing and teaching.
"Elizabeth attends to these time-honored ballads with a level of comfort and conviction rarely found these days...There is a real kind of chilling effect of her singing." − Jon Lohman, Virginia State Folklorist
"She's the spirit of the Appalachians in song." − Knoxville's Weekly Voice Metro Pulse
"The only problem I have while listening to Elizabeth is that I'm always listening through tears. She reminds me so much of my older relative - the same profound feeling for the ballad, yet with such a clear voice." − Sheila Kay Adams, seventh-generation ballad singer
