The Alamanac Singers: The
Almanacs were really the first folk music supergroup and spun off into rather
successful careers for Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Josh White, Burl
Ives, and various other folks who made up the core of the group or who joined
them on occasion. Seeger and Hays went on to form The Weavers.
Carter Family: It's hard to imagine that we'd still be talking about American folk music had there never been a Carter Family. The music of the Carter Family helped inspire folks like Bob Dylan. Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" melody was taken from an old Carter Family tune. Johnny Cash grew up listening to them on the radio. It almost seems like every folk artist of note came up listening to the Carter Family and learning their songs. One part old-school country, one part gospel spirituals, the Carter Family's influence on contemporary folk music is certainly felt.
Charlie Poole: Old time banjo
player Charlie Poole was one of the earliest stars of the old-time scene back
in the 1920s. As the frontman of the North Carolina Ramblers, Poole became an
influence on the founding fathers of American bluegrass. Their tune "Don't
Let Your Deal Go Down" became a country-folk standard in the late '20s.
Dave Van Ronk: Dave Van Ronk was
one of the most important figures in the Greenwich Village folk-music scene of
the 1960s. He was an activist and a songwriter, a Merchant Marine, and a former
member of a barbershop quartet. But, it was his involvement in the scene that
put him on the map; literally, there's a street in the West Village of New York
named after him.
Doc Watson: Aside from being a
master flat-picker, Doc Watson has helped inspire a number of other influential
folk artists, including Bob Dylan. He's easily one of the most influential
artists in the genre, and one of the most gifted instrumentalists.
Harry Belafonte: First discovered
as a calypso artist, Harry Belafonte became most popular for his "Banana
Boat Song." He also became an active force in the Civil Rights Movement of
the '60s.
Ian & Sylvia: Ian &
Sylvia were one of the most successful folk duos of the 1960s and '70s. They
worked with fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot, and also recorded several
original and traditional folk songs.
Joan Baez: Joan Baez is one of
the most remarkable forces in American folk music. Her voice is an
extraordinary soprano, and she's played everything from classic traditional
songs to the work of Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs. She's also been a constant voice
for peace and social justice.
John Gorka: John Gorka's
literary, poetic folk songs are among some of the most well-written around
these days. He's drawn praise from fellow singer/songwriters and critics alike
and has become a fixture at festivals nationwide since winning the Kerrville
New Folk competition in 1984.
John Prine: John Prine is often
hailed as one of the best narrative songwriters of his generation and has been
compared to fellow great songwriters Paul Simon, Loudon Wainwright, and James
Taylor. He's a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and has been inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Johnny Cash: Johnny Cash is
another one of those artists who's often looked at as a country singer,
although his earliest influences were folk artists like the Carter family. He
was a great fan of traditional music, and often performed traditional spiritual
songs and the like in his performances with wife June Carter.
Joni Mitchell: Joni Mitchell is
revered for her poetic imagery and her lovely, soaring soprano. Although she
really wanted to be a painter, Mitchell managed to pen some of the most
memorable folk songs of the past 40 years, including the preservationist tune
"Big Yellow Taxi."
Judy Collins: Judy Collins was
one of the artists instrumental in the peace movement of the 1960s. She was one
of the most popular female folk singers in the '60s folk revival and started
her own record company, Wildflower Records.
The Kingston Trio: The Kingston
Trio was one of the most successful folk groups of its kind, inspiring various
other trios to dress alike and tell jokes between their renditions of
traditional folk songs. They've released more than 40 albums in the last 50
years, and have become somewhat of an institution in contemporary folk music.
Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson may be best
known for writing Janis Joplin's huge hit "Me and Bobbie McGhee," but
he's a favorite among fellow songwriters. He's also quite the accomplished
actor, having appeared in several films, including "A Star is Born"
with Barbra Streisand.
Leadbelly: You can't really argue
with a folksinger so good that his song managed to get him out of jail for
murder. Leadbelly's influence has been felt across the musical spectrum, and
his tunes spanned the old folk-blues and contemporary folk music.
Michael Franti & Spearhead: Michael
Franti has become known for his electrifying live performances that can feel
more like a peace rally than a standard music concert. As a result, Franti has
inspired and motivated fans, critics and fellow songwriters to action through
his work.
Neil Young: From his work with
Crosby Stills Nash and Young to his numerous solo albums, Neil Young has been a
serious force in the folk-rock world. Due to his innovative blend of hard rock
guitars with folky, rootsy lyrics and themes, Young has become one of the most
influential artists in contemporary folk-rock.
Nickel Creek: Although they
started out as more of a bluegrass group, Nickel Creek evolved, over the course
of their 20 years, into more of a generalized folk group. With their prodigious
instrumental skills, the trio blended jazz, folk, rock, and bluegrass on
originals and covers alike.
Odetta
One thing you always hear when
people talk about Odetta is the exceptional power of her voice. She's possibly
one of the most impressive vocalists in contemporary folk music. She began
performing when she was 19 and rose to fame through singing classic
African-American spirituals.
Patty Griffin: Patty Griffin is a
songwriter's songwriter and has become highly respected across all musical
genres for her numerous compositions. She's also an award-winning artist in her
own right and has recorded album after album of incredible folk, gospel, and
blues songs.
Paul Robeson: Much like Odetta,
often when you hear talk of Paul Robeson, you'll hear about his incredible
voice. He had a very low bass voice and was renowned for bringing some classic
African-American spirituals like "Go Down Moses" to national and
international attention. He became so popular and influential that he managed
to get his own U.S. postal stamp—not something with which many folksingers have
been honored.
Pete Seeger: Pete Seeger is,
undeniably, one of the most prolific and influential artists in the history of
American music. From his time with the Almanac Singers to the Weavers, his
refusal to testify in the McCarthy era, and subsequent blacklisting. He went on
to be an instrumental force in the '60s folk revival and helping organize
during the Civil Rights movement and the peace movement. He's written some of
the most covered tunes in folk history.
Peter, Paul & Mary: Even
though they were pieced together with the intention of being an ideal folk-pop
money-making supergroup, there's not a lot about Peter, Paul & Mary that
was contrived. A rather talented trio of artists, Peter, Paul & Mary also
became vocal advocates in the peace movement, and continue to be a force to be
reckoned with in contemporary folk music.
Phil Ochs: Phil Ochs is known for
writing exceptional protest songs, and he spared nobody with his sharp tongue.
His early songs were brief and sharp topical songs like "I Ain't Marching
Anymore" and "Draft Dodger Rag." Later in his career, his songs
became longer and more introspective and narrative. Regardless, Ochs is
considered one of the more gifted songwriters of
his generation.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott: One of
Woody Guthrie's most dedicated proteges, Ramblin' Jack earned his reputation as
a tall tale teller and folk singer. He traveled with Guthrie for a half-decade
and has since recorded 50 albums. The film The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack was made
about his life.
Richard Shindell: Richard
Shindell started working in music with the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band (with fellow
incredible songwriter John Gorka). Even though he'd been playing music his
whole life, Shindell didn't start making waves in the folk world until Joan
Baez picked up three of his songs for her 1997 album. Since then, he's become a
highly influential songwriter.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott:: Speaking of
proteges, Steve Earle was somewhat of a Townes Van Zandt protege and has been
known to call Townes a better songwriter than Bob Dylan. Earle's brand of
country-folk protest music sets him apart from his peers.
Tom Paxton: In terms of topical
and protest songwriting, Tom Paxton is one of the best there is. In the last 40
years, he's released more than 50 records and has become a rather respected
songwriter in the realm of protest song. His classic, "What Did You Learn
in School Today?" is one of the best topical tunes about the American
educational system.
David Corio: Singer/songwriter
Tom Waits is probably one of the contemporary folk artists most well-respected
outside of contemporary folk music. His gritty voice and dark, dirty songs have
almost a punk-rock sensibility. He's also become a star of the big screen,
lending his talents to more than 50 films.
Townes Van Zandt: Townes Van
Zandt could be considered one of the best songwriters of all time. Indeed,
there aren't a lot of songwriters working these days who don't feel some
reverence towards his work. His songs are deeply personal narratives about
life, and they've been performed by countless other artists.
Utah Phillips: Utah Phillips has
made it his life's work to sing the songs of the working class. He frequently
pulls from the Wobbly (Industrial Workers of the World) songbook, and his live
shows are peppered with as much silliness as serious protest songs. He's
received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Folk Alliance and
continues to tour nationwide.
The Weavers: The Weavers spun off
from the earlier group the Almanac Singers, in which Pete Seeger and Lee Hays
were core members. Although this quartet only enjoyed a few years of success,
those few years managed to help inspire a generation to turn their eyes and
ears toward traditional American folk music. Many have credited the Weavers
with helping to fuel the folk revival that followed their success and
subsequent blacklisting during the McCarthy era.
Woody Guthrie: It's kind of funny
that the Weavers and Woody Guthrie come up last in this alphabetical listing,
as they're probably two of the most important artists in the history of the
contemporary folk movement in this country. Guthrie wrote thousands of songs in
his lifetime, many of which are still being found. Among them were love songs,
songs of praise, silly children's songs, songs about nature, and topical
protest songs. If any songwriter could be called "prolific" or
"influential," those terms would certainly apply to Woody Guthrie.