Boones Mill artist Colby T. Helms releases debut album ‘Tales of Misfortune’
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — One local artist has recently released their debut album and he is just getting started. Known for storytelling through his music, Colby T. Helms is now getting ready to perform at the 5 Points Music Sanctuary.
On Feb. 10, Colby T. Helms will be performing at the music venue at 6:30 p.m. The 21-year-old artist grew up in the Boones Mill area on a piece of land, his family owned in the Southwest Virginia area since the 1800s.
Helms first dreamed of making music at 12 years old. The moment came to him at his dad’s funeral, when a group of Blue Ridge old-time and bluegrass players performed songs including “Standing On The Rock” and the gospel classic “A Beautiful Life.”
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“My dad passed away when I was 12 and he was big into music. He was an amazing storyteller and just a really lively character. I had all of these different stories inside of me and I kind of just started writing them into songs,” said Helms.
Turning his dream into a reality, Helms taught himself how to play the guitar, banjo, and mandolin while watching YouTube videos. By the age of 18, he had performed in the Blue Ridge/ Appalachian Mountains.
Now, the singer has released his debut album, “Tales of Misfortune.” He said the songs were inspired by his own life experiences and stories of growing up in the Franklin County area.
“I want you to get a little piece of where I am from the tradition and the culture. No matter where you are in the world, you can feel like you are in Southwest Virginia,” shared Helms.
The last song on the album is “Daddy’s Pocket Knife.” Here is a snippet of the song.
Tickets for Helms’s performance at the Five Points Music Sanctuary can be purchased online.
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