Roy Carter, DelFest creator, dies at 68 | Local News

CUMBERLAND — Roy Carter, a promoter and organizer of music festivals across the country, including DelFest, died May 1 after a long illness. He was 68.

Carter is credited with bringing Del McCoury to Cumberland in 2007, which led to McCoury’s decision to move the popular DelFest bluegrass and Americana music festival to the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

This Memorial Day weekend marks the 16th anniversary of the four-day festival.

“He was a quiet guy behind the scenes,” said Ronnie McCoury, Del McCoury’s son and part of the Del McCoury Band. “But those of us who knew and loved him will certainly miss him.”

Barb Buehl, local DelFest liaison, said Carter was great to work with and we will miss him.

“We have a lot to thank him for,” she said.

Carter, who lived in Northern California, had roots in the music industry dating back to the 1970s. His experience in the industry eventually led to him founding the successful High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California.

Launched in 1992, the four-day festival takes place every year in the first week of July. The Del McCoury Band has played the festival several times.

“He built what they had with High Sierra,” Ronnie McCoury said. “We played his festivals and we enjoyed playing them.”

Stan Strickland, Del McCoury’s manager, said he considered several different festival organizers to start DelFest, but in his opinion it was the laid-back Carter who was the right fit.

“It was the atmosphere they created at High Sierra and the gracious way they treated the artists,” Strickland said. “The fan experience was very important to Carter. He paid attention to details and knew how to treat people.”

When looking for a location for DelFest, Del McCoury requested that it be in the Mid-Atlantic region, near his birthplace in rural York County, Pennsylvania. Carter chose five locations, with the fairgrounds at the top of the list for Del McCoury.

When Carter and his assistant Rebecca Sparks met Del McCoury at the fairgrounds in 2007, McCoury was impressed by the site, which featured the bluffs of neighboring West Virginia with views of the Potomac River and plenty of room for camping. Del McCoury didn’t want to look any further; He settled right there on the construction site.

“The location of the fairgrounds is very special,” said Sparks, now president of High Sierra Music. “I still remember the first site visit to get Del’s approval. He turned around and said, ‘It’s kind of reminiscent of a little Telluride.’ We knew we had found the right place.

In a February interview for the book “Fairgo Forever! 100 Years of the Allegany County Fairgrounds,” Carter highlighted the reasons for choosing the fairgrounds. He said the Allegany County location is beautiful and convenient.

“I’ve worked with festivals on the West Coast and we’ve had great success working with fairgrounds because they have a lot of infrastructure,” Carter said. “Electricity, water and toilets are already available.”

Carter was known for introducing recycling and sustainable operations to festivals.

“It went so smoothly because Roy used the people to get it done,” Ronnie McCoury said. “All these people learned from Roy.”

Sparks has been busy preparing for the 16th DelFest without Carter.

“It’s been tough here,” Sparks said. “But we were happy to call him a friend. He was a kind soul who truly left an indelible mark on the festival world.”

Roy Carter is survived by his wife Carla and his daughter, as well as his sister Anne and his brother Bob. As a fitting tribute to his selfless service, Carter has requested donations to the American Heart Association or local food banks in lieu of flowers.