The Carolina Tar Heels

For the athletic teams of the University of North Carolina, see North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Carolina Tar Heels was an American old time string band. It originally consisted of Dock Walsh (July 23, 1901 – May 28, 1967) on banjo and Gwen Foster on harmonica.^[1] Later Clarence Ashley (September 29, 1895 – June 2, 1967) joined on guitar and Garley Foster (January 10, 1905 – October 5, 1968) would replace Gwen on harmonica. Despite sharing a surname Gwen and Garley were not related.^[2]

The Carolina Tar Heels in 1930: Clarence Ashley on the left, Dock Walsh in the middle, and Gwen Foster on the right

The Carolina Tar Heels were active in the 1920s, and disbanded in 1932.

Discography

• The Carolina Tar Heels (Folk Legacy, 1964)
• The Carolina Tar Heels (GHP, 1969)
• The Carolina Tar Heels (Bear Family, 1975)
• The Original Carolina Tar Heels: Look Who's Coming! (Old Homestead, 1978)