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Young Hollerers Carry On Spivey's Corner Tradition

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SPIVEY'S CORNER, N.C. — Spivey's Corner is home to the National Hollerin' Contest a 33-year tradition, and there is a group of young hollerers carrying the legacy into a new century.

"We always have big talent down here, and the talent gets better and better every year. I believe people are taking it more seriously than they have," said contest coordinator Wayne Edwards.

11-year-old John Mark Herring certainly takes hollerin' seriously

Herring is the 2001 junior champion of the National Hollerin' Contest. He also won in 1999 with his dog call.

"Everybody thinks we come out here and call hogs, but that's not what it's about," said Edwards.

Edwards heads up the annual contest, which is sponsored by the Spivey's Corner Volunteer Fire Department. He says kids like Herring are the future of hollerin', an old form of communication used when neighbors were not close by.

"We're seeing how the younger generation is coming out and getting involved in it," said Edwards.

"Hollerin has been around a long time. Modern technology like cell phones and e-mail have kicked it out of the way so we don't need it. We have to keep it alive cause it's a special art," said Herring.

Herring and other winners appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman Monday night.

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