Bob Sherman, Longtime Host of “Woody’s Children,” 1932-2023
Bob Sherman, host of the long-running and award-winning radio show “Woody’s Children” in New York City, passed away on June 27, 2023 at the age of 90.
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FAI Folk Radio Charts – September 2020
Old Friends by Gathering Time was the top album on folk radio in September 2020 and features seven of the month’s top 25 songs, while the folk-rock harmony trio was the month’s most-played artist. James Lee Baker’s “100 Summers” edged out Scott Cook’s “Say Can You See” for the top song. So say charts compiled by Folk Alliance International based on radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion group for DJs and others interested in folk-based music on the radio.
[To continue reading this article and to view the monthly top albums, songs and artists charts, click on the headline.]
Clearwater Sets 2020 Virtual Revival, June 20
Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, a festival celebrating environmental activism and education, traditionally held over the Father’s Day weekend, won’t be taking place at Croton Point Park in Croton-On-Hudson in New York’s Hudson Valley this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, you can enjoy music by some of the artists who would have been there and more from the comfort of your own home on Saturday, June 20, during Clearwater’s 2020 Virtual Revival.
[To continue reading this article and see the complete festival schedule, click on the headline.]
Ron Olesko Receives NERFA’s Creator of the Year Award for Folk Music Notebook
Veteran folk DJ Ron Olesko was the recipient of the inaugural Creator of the Year Award presented by the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) during the nonprofit organization’s 25th annual conference in Stamford, CT, Nov. 7-10, 2019. Olesko, a NERFA stalwart, who has been hosting a folk show (Traditions) on WFDU-FM (Teaneck, NJ), was recognized for launching Folk Music Notebook, an online radio station showcasing folk music 24/7 earlier this year.
[To continue reading this article -- which includes mention of the other award-winners and some other conference highlights -- click on the headline.]
Dec. 7 Concert in NYC Celebrates 50 Years of “Woody’s Children”
Some of Bob Sherman’s favorite folk artists -- including David Amram, Tom Chapin and Tom Paxton – will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the longtime New York City broadcaster’s popular, award-winning radio show “Woody’s Children,” during a December 7 concert at the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space. The event, hosted by Sherman, will be filmed for future airing on PBS television stations.
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Remembering Pete Fornatale: A Pioneering New York Radio DJ
The folk, folk-rock and singer-songwriter communities lost one of their most ardent champions and promoters last week with the passing of Pete Fornatale, a pioneering New York radio DJ, who introduced me and many others to some wonderful artists whose music has become the soundtrack of our lives.
[To read the full article -- including reflections from artists who knew Pete and excerpts from an interview I did with him in 1989 -- click on the headline.]
Remembering Terence Martin, A Gifted Singer-Songwriter
Terence Martin, a gifted New York-based singer-songwriter and published poet, has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. Martin, who succumbed to the disease on Nov. 7, was born in London, England, grew up in Los Angeles, California, and moved east in 1997 to become part of New York’s thriving acoustic music scene. He recorded and released six albums independently and was working on another one at the time of his passing.
[To read a short article, as well as personal remembrances and reflections from Jim Colbert, a fellow singer-songwriter, click on the headline.]
Bill Morrissey, Singer-Songwriter of the Common Folk, 1951-2011
A private memorial service took place in New Hampshire on Friday, July 29, for Bill Morrissey, a Grammy-nominated, nationally touring folksinger-songwriter, for whom the granite state was home and its small-town life the inspiration behind much of his material. Morrissey died at age 59 of complications of heart disease in Georgia on July 23 while on tour.
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Q & A with John Platt of WFUV’s ‘Sunday Breakfast’
In a popular music landscape where today’s talented singer-songwriters are often ignored, it’s a little miracle to listen to radio stations — usually small, publicly-run or independent — that promote songwriters who might fall between the cracks. Among the many wonderful DJs out there supporting independent singer-songwriters in markets across the U.S., one of the most well-known and well-listened to is John Platt, host of “Sunday Breakfast” on New York’s WFUV. Sharon Goldman recently elicited his thoughts about the singer-songwriter scene for her blog, Songwriting Scene. Her Q & A interview with him is reprinted here with permission.
[To read the Q &A with John Platt, click on the headline.].
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