Carla Ruth Osborne

According to musician Joe Newberry, Carla Ruth is a “princess.” Ask her fellow Kudzus and they’ll agree she often acts as if she is a royal something, but maybe not a princess. Mr. Newberry’s comments are based not on Carla Ruth’s talent, but her lineage. As the granddaughter of Southwest Virginia’s well-known and loved luthier and musician, the late Albert Hash, she was exposed to old time music at an early age. Youth is wasted on the young, as the saying goes, and she didn’t fully realize the treasure of such an upbringing until well into her adult years, but she’s now working hard with the Kudzu Ramblers to make up for lost time.

Carla Ruth lives “Inside the Beltline” — much to the chagrin of many of her neighbors — with her long-suffering husband, Tim (whom we thank for the wonderful photos), their daughter, Emily, and two spoiled cats.