Curley Ennis: A Sweet and Gentle Man Leaves Us

Curley Ennis at Floydfest

Curley Ennis, one of the sweetest, most gentle and talented men in this region, died Friday and we're all a bit less for his going. Curley, who was 73 but had the energy of a man half his age, was a musician and teacher whose folk songs entertained children and adults for six decades.

Here's a final song from him.

Curley was a guy with a face a photographer--me, in this case--could love. I have a trove of photos somewhere and wish I could bring them to the front immediately to show you, but filing has never been a strong suit on this end.

He was a throwback to the wandering Depression-era minstrels, a Midwesterner with a slow drawl and an easy manner. He played with some of the best-known folkies of his era (Arlo Guthrie, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Paxton, among others) and was responsible for helping develop talent in this region, as well. He was an organic farmer in Bedford County in the 1970s. He had been in the military, but left when Vietman became a moral issue. He ran art galleries and was even a technical writer at one point.

Everywhere he went, Curly left an impression of a man of great character, a giving man who cared about his community, his country and his world.

There will be a memorial service Thursday 7-9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Roanoke.