Remembering Jean Ritchie, 1922-2015
Jean Ritchie, the Kentucky-born folksinger, songwriter and song collector who helped to popularize hundreds of traditional Appalachian ballads and spur the so-called folk revival of the mid-20th century in the U.S., died June 1, 2015 at her home in Berea, KY. Ritchie, 92, was surrounded by members of her family, who sang at her bedside during her last hours.
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Six Kerrville New Folk Winners Named for 2015
David Berkeley (Santa Fe, NM), Wes Collins (Chapel Hill, NC), Amy Kucharik (Somerville, MA), Tom Meny (Buda, TX), Anna Tivel (Portland, OR) and Becky Warren (Nashville, TN) have been named as winners in the 2015 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. The six winning songwriters were chosen from among hundreds of applicants following performances May 28-29 by 32 finalists during the New Folk Concerts held as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country.
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Guy Carawan, Folk Musician and Musicologist, 1927-2015
Guy Carawan, a folksinger, musician, ethnomusicologist and activist perhaps best known for introducing the anthemic protest song “We Shall Overcome” to the American civil rights movement during the 1960s, died in his sleep May 1 following a lengthy illness. He was 87.
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Folk Alliance International Hosts Conference, Releases White Paper on Copyright & Royalties
Folk Alliance International (FAI) has released a white paper entitled Understanding Copyright, Royalties and Practical Applications in Folk Music. Prepared by the FAI board of directors’ advocacy committee and staff, and aimed at helping to foster understanding of this complex issue among the nonprofit organization’s membership, the paper will be presented on Friday, February 20, during the 27th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Grammy Award Winners Named In American Roots Music Field
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were presented Feb. 8 in Los Angeles, California. Prior to the televised ceremonies from the Staples Center, awards were given to winners in a number of categories -- including those that comprise the American Roots Music Field. Rosanne Cash was the big winner, capturing three of them.
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Top Albums, Songs, Artists of 2014 (FOLKDJ-L)
New York-based female Americana roots trio Red Molly had the most-played album (The Red Album) on folk radio during 2014, while Indiana-based singer-songwriter Tim Grimm had the most-played song (“King of the Folksingers”), according to charts compiled by Richard Gillmann from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in all folk-based music on the radio. Pete Seeger, the American folk music icon who died last January at 94, was the most-played artist.
[The 2014 year-end FOLKDJ-L charts, which are based on reported airplay by 184 different radio DJs, are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com with permission. To view them, click on the headline.]
Grammy Awards Nominees Named
Nominees in 83 categories have been named for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Of particular interest to readers of AcousticMusicScene.com are the nominees in the American Roots Music Field.
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2014 Americana Top 100 Albums Chart Revealed
The River & the Thread, a collection of original songs that connect and re-connect Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash to the American South where she was born and from which her family hails, was the most-played album on Americana radio during 2014. That’s the word from the Americana Music Association, whose year-end Top 10 and Top 100 Albums of the Year are based on the records reported to the Americana Airplay Chart during the period of December 2, 2013 through December 1, 2014.
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50 Years with Peter, Paul and Mary Airs on PBS
Peter, Paul and Mary’s music and social activism helped to shape a generation. Through the years, the seminal folk trio has touched the hearts and consciences of millions of people worldwide, won five Grammy Awards, received eight gold and five platinum records, had 13 top 40 hits, and been the subject of five PBS documentaries. A new one entitled 50 Years with Peter, Paul and Mary has begun airing on PBS television stations throughout the U.S.
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Kerrville New Folk Winners Perform Live Online, Nov. 4
The 2014 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners will perform live online on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. CST. The special Blue Rock Sessions Live broadcast will emanate from Billy and Dodee Crockett’s Blue Rock Studios near Wimberley, Texas. Tickets for the high-quality studio production and HD video webcast use the “pay what you want” model with fan tipping.
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