Some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouths; others grow up to use spoons to make a living.
Abby Roach grew up dirt poor in Wichita, Kansas. As a teenager, she hit the road in search of a better life, spending years traveling road and rail across the United States with little more than a backpack and her trusty dog by her side. Somewhere along the way, she figured out that in order to survive this nomadic lifestyle, she needed to learn a skill she could use to busk for a living.
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“I’ve been busking for about 10 years, and I started while I was riding freight trains,” Abby explained. “Yeah … I was one of those dirty kids with a dog and a pack at one point. I needed a way to fund myself across the country, and spoons was it.”
Abby spent 8 years traveling the country, and during that time she honed her new talent and became a bonafide musician in the process. She has now traveled to 48 states, recorded albums, and been recruited by “America’s Got Talent.”
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At first it was difficult. No one took me seriously. Most of the money I received at the beginning was ‘sympathy money,’ I believe. Eventually I started hearing, ‘Oh, that’s neat’ and ‘How’d she do that?’ and then the tour bus in Nashville started referring to me as the ‘Spoon Lady’ … and so folks started uploading me as such … and so now I’m the Spoon Lady … and one of less than five people that can do what I do in the world.
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Abby is now known as “Abby the Spoon Lady,” and she’s one of the most renowned street performers in the U.S. based out of Asheville, North Carolina, Abby regularly books gigs both by herself and with various musical partners.
In one of her most famous videos, Abby teamed up with her friend Chris Rodrigues to celebrate “Play Music on the Porch Day.” The two sat down on Abby’s quaint front porch, Chris with a steel guitar and Abby with her trademark spoons, and proceeded to blow the roof off the place using nothing but spoons, a guitar, a small bell, and Chris’s voice.
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Wearing nothing but overalls and a tank top, the barefoot percussionist doesn’t say a single word during the video, choosing instead to let her hands do the talking.
Chris and Abby perform their own version of the popular folk song, “Angels in Heaven.”Abby’s hands fly through the air so quickly it’s hard to tell where her fingers end and the spoons begin. How in the world does she manage to make such an impressive sound with just two little spoons?
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Abby’s talent is certainly unique, and we love how her story meanders from her hobo-like existence to becoming a professional musician. The really cool part is that in spite of the fact that Abby is now famous for her unique talent, she’s just as comfortable on a street corner or her own front porch as she’d be on a stage surrounded by career musicians.
Take a look at Abby the Spoon Lady in action in the video below, and don’t forget to share!
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