Jean Ritchie’s legacy: Perry County’s music, health, and heritage

Jean Ritchie, born in Viper on December 8, 1922, rose from the mountain hollers of Perry County to become one of the most influential voices in American folk music. A member of the large musical Ritchie family, she learned hundreds of ballads and hymns passed down orally in her community, then recorded, documented and shared them through books, performances and recordings. Ritchie graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Kentucky, carried Perry County songs to national and international stages, and later received major recognition including a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship. She is widely credited with helping spark modern interest in the Appalachian or mountain dulcimer.

Ritchie's work did more than preserve tunes; it created cultural infrastructure for a region that has long faced economic hardship and health disparities. Traditional music serves as a social glue in rural places, supporting mental health, intergenerational connection and community resilience. In Perry County, Ritchie’s repertoire and the visibility she brought to local traditions have been used in schools, community events and cultural tourism—activities that boost civic pride and can support economic opportunities tied to health and wellbeing.

The practical public health implications are concrete. Music and storytelling can reduce social isolation among older adults, support youth identity formation, and be woven into therapeutic programming for mental health and substance use recovery. In a county grappling with limited healthcare resources, integrating cultural assets like Ritchie’s music into prevention and wellness programs offers low-cost, locally resonant interventions. Community-based performances, dulcimer workshops, and intergenerational song-sharing at health centers and senior sites can strengthen social ties while complementing clinical services.

Policy choices will determine whether that potential is realized. Investment in arts education in Perry County schools, funding for community arts organizations, and inclusion of cultural programming in county health plans would direct public resources toward both cultural preservation and population health. Preserving archives, supporting musicians, and creating accessible programming in public spaces can also address equity by ensuring rural Appalachian culture receives the recognition and material support it deserves.

The takeaway? Keep Jean Ritchie’s songs in the air and in our institutions. Teach the dulcimer in after-school programs, bring ballads into community health events, and ask local leaders to fund arts-and-health partnerships. Our two cents? Holding onto these mountain songs is not just about heritage—it’s about building healthier, more connected Perry County communities.