Dolphus Ramseur grew up on a dirt road in Concord, North Carolina, where he learned to love the music of the Piedmont region—the blues, classic country, and rock and roll. Dolph's love of music emerged early. During a first-grade show and tell, he played a song from his parent's vinyl collection—The Fleetwoods record, ‘Come Softly to Me’.
Along with his passion for music, he was also an accomplished tennis player. He eventually earned a degree in professional tennis management and worked for some years as a tennis pro. But music remained his true love.
Ramseur gave up his tennis career to start an independent record label and management company, Ramseur Records. He has helped cultivate and promote the creative and artistic visions of The Avett Brothers, Sierra Ferrell, David Childers, Amethyst Kiah, Spectre Jones, Ruen Brothers, Sammy Miller and The Congregation, and Heartless Bastards.
Ramseur's acts have performed live at the GRAMMYs, and several have won the prestigious award. Ramseur’s musicians have also performed on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live, and headlined at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Barclays Center, and Boston Garden, among other venues.
In 2022 Dolphus was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
Watch and listen as he tells us his story in the latest instalment of our Bartók Masters series.
Learn more about the dCS Bartók APEX here
