Reba Heyman Tribute Concert & Livestream Set for March 19
Fourteen artists/acts will help celebrate the life and legacy of Reba Heyman, a stalwart supporter of the folk music community who was widely viewed as a ‘folk angel’ or ‘folk mom,’ on Saturday, March 19, 2022. Co-sponsored by Focus Music, Uptown Concerts, World Folk Music Association (WFMA), Songwriters’ Association of Washington (SAW), and Institute of Musical Traditions, the concert takes place at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland and will also be live streamed.
[Click on the headline to continue reading this article, which includes reflections from several of the participating artists.]
Virtual Tribute to Bill Staines Premieres February 6
The Woodstock Folk Festival will present a virtual tribute to Bill Staines, the revered New Hampshire-based traveling troubadour and prolific songwriter, on what would have been his 75th birthday -- Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 1 p.m. CST/2 p.m. EST via the festival’s website (woodstockfolkfestival.org). Featuring words and music in pre-recorded performances of his songs, the tribute will also be available to view on demand after the premiere.
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J.D. Crowe, Pioneering Bluegrass Banjo Player, 1937-2021
J.D. Crowe, an influential and visionary bluegrass banjo player, who plied his craft for more than 60 years, died on Dec. 24. The Lexington, Kentucky native and Grammy Award-winning artist was 84.
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In Memoriam: Scott Alarik, Bill Staines & Joe Virga
Scott Alarik, Bill Staines and Joe Virga — each of whom made important contributions to the folk music community in the U.S. — passed away in early December 2021 and will be greatly missed. Ethan Baird, executive director of Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), pays tribute to them below.
[Click on the headline to read Ethan's reflections and an extended editor's note with more information about Scott, Bill and Joe -- along with video links.]
Grammy Nominees Named in American Roots Music Field
Nominees in 86 categories have been named for the 64th annual Grammy Awards to be presented by the Recording Academy on Monday, January 31, 2022. Allison Russell leads the nominees in the American Roots Music Field with three nominations, while Jon Batiste, Béla Fleck, Rhiannon Giddens, Billy Strings, and Yola each received two.
Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to see the complete list of nominees in the American Roots Music Field.
Music Festival Impresario George Wein, 1925-2021
Music festival impresario George Wein, founder of the Newport Folk & Jazz Festivals and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, died September 13 in his New York City apartment. The noted pianist, producer and promoter was 95.
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Remembering Nanci Griffith, 1953-2021
Nanci Griffith, a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, whose music straddled the line between folk and country, died on August 13, 2021 at age 68.
[Click on the headline to continue reading this article , including reflections from other artists.]
Folk Community Mourns the Passing of Two Stalwarts: Clark Weissman and Reba Heyman
Last week, the folk community lost two seminal figures: Clark Weissman, co-founder of Folk Alliance International (along with his late wife Elaine, 2005), and Reba Heyman, an omnipresent supporter (along with her late husband Vic, 2009). Aengus Finnan, executive director of Folk Alliance International, remembers them and reflects on their contributions.
[Click on the headline to read this remembrance piece.]
Grammy Award Winners Named in American Roots Music Field
Winners in the 63rd Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field were recognized during a Premiere Ceremony that took place prior to The Recording Academy’s televised awards show on Sunday, March 14, 2021 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, while singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile paid tribute to the late John Prine, one of the winners, during the awards show that aired on CBS television stations.
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Dr. Fauci Foresees Fall Reopening for Performing Arts Venues in U.S.
Live performances at theaters and other venues could resume with relatively few restrictions “sometime in the fall of 2021 … if enough people get vaccinated,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during an online conversation as part of a virtual Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) conference on January 9. Theaters, performing arts centers, concert halls and other live music venues throughout the U.S. have been closed since last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the inability to tour and perform live has had a serious economic impact on artists, presenters and others in the field.
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