Roy Carter, DelFest & High Sierra Festival Co-Founder, Dies

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Roy Carter

Roy Carter, one of the original founders of the High Sierra Music Festival and DelFest, passed away of congestive heart failure on April 29. He was 68.

Carter got his start in the business doing publicity for clubs and venues, and creating recycling programs for festivals and music events. In 1991 he and three other partners started High Sierra Music Festival in Leland Meadows, California. The festival pioneered featuring rock, acoustic, bluegrass, jazz and folk all together in one weekend.

High Sierra Music Festival nurtured the burgeoning jam scene, helping boost the careers of acts such as the String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, the Slip, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Umphrey’s McGee and many others. Carter had a keen eye for talent, and was known for booking bands very early in their careers such as Billy Strings, the Revivalists, Avett Brothers and the Lumineers.

Carter is survived by his wife, Carla, and daughter, as well as his sister Anne and brother Bob. In lieu of flowers, Carter requested donations to the American Heart Association or a local food bank.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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