Honoring the musical legacy of Stephen C. Foster

Jason Futch Reporter2@riverbendnews.org Stephen Collins Foster left an enduring mark on American music despite his short life. His creative influence even reached Florida, where he wrote the song “Old Folks at Home.” To preserve the song’s phonetic rhythm, Foster changed the original lyric from “Way down upon the Pee Dee River” to “Way down upon the Suwannee River.” That simple adjustment created a lasting legacy. So much so that 71 years after his untimely death at the age of 37, the state Legislature adopted “Old Folks at Home” as Florida’s state song.  Riverbend News photo by Shelby Clark, January 11,