Liam Reilly, Songwriter & Lead Singer of Bagatelle, 1955-2021
Liam Reilly, an acclaimed songwriter and former lead singer of the Irish folk-rock band Bagatelle, died on New Year’s Day 2021 at age 65.
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Tony Rice, Bluegrass Guitar Virtuoso, 1951-2020
Tony Rice, an influential acoustic guitarist and 2013 inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, died on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2020 at his home in Reidsville, North Carolina. He was 69.
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Lois Morton, A Witty Singer-Songwriter, 1933-2020
The Long Island music community has lost one of its most unique and gifted singer-songwriters. Lois Morton -- who delighted audiences throughout the New York metropolitan area and beyond for years with her abundant charm and humorous songs of social commentary on such subjects as cell phones, clutter, diets, psychotherapy, and road rage -- passed away on Dec. 17 at 87.
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Winners Named in 2020 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition
Six singer-songwriters have been named as winners in the 2020 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. They were chosen by a panel of judges from among 24 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts that streamed online October 10 and 11 on the Kerrville Folk Festival’s website, Facebook page and YouTube channel as part of a Virtual Celebration held in place of the annual event on the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country.
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TradMad Virtual Camp 2020 Airs on Folk Music Notebook, Aug. 31-Sept. 3
Each summer, folks flock to Pinewoods Camp in Plymouth, Massachusetts for an annual six-day gathering of live music and dance for adults interested in Anglo-American traditional music and dance known as TradMad. Although the current COVID-19 pandemic prompted the Folk Music Society of New York (aka Pinewoods Folk Music Club) to postpone this year’s event, TradMad Virtual Camp 2020 will be presented Aug. 31 - Sept. 3 via FolkMusicNotebook.com.
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Online Tribute to John Prine Premieres June 11
Family and friends of John Prine will share memories of and songs by the internationally acclaimed and revered singer-songwriter during Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine on Thursday, June 11. The online celebration of his life and music will stream on Prine’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, as well as Oh Boy Records' Twitch channel, at 7:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. CDT/4:30 p.m. PDT and can be replayed through Sunday. A songwriter’s songwriter, who toured and plied his craft for nearly 50 years, Prine died April 7 at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
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Doc Watson Week on Social Media, May 25-29
A number of artists will celebrate the life and legacy of American music legend Doc Watson on social media during the week of May 25-29, 2020 under the auspices of MerleFest, one of America’s premiere music festivals.
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Kerrville Folk Festival Hosts Virtual Celebration; 24 New Folk Finalists Named
Although the annual Kerrville Folk Festival won’t be taking place in late May- June on the Quiet Valley Ranch campgrounds in the Texas Hill Country due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, “virtual concerts” featuring nearly 40 of the artists who were booked to perform during it will be streamed from the festival’s website and its Facebook page on three successive Saturdays in late May-early June. Meanwhile, 24 songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2020 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Contest for Emerging Songwriters that organizers hope will take place Oct. 9 and 10 during the 49th annual Kerrville Folk Festival that has been tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 8-18.
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Livestreaming Links and Websites of Note
In the wake of the continuing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of Facebook groups and pages have been launched that welcome artists and presenters to post their livestreaming concerts and/or information about them.
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