A few years ago, in connection with another interest unrelated to folk music, I was conversing with a colleague over the phone. In some passing context I happened to utter the words "folk music," to which the voice on the other end inquired, "Folk music? Have you ever come across my brother Art Thieme?" He didn't mean "brother" in some loose sense. He was speaking of a genetic relationship. (As it happened, I had seen Art perform, and I had a couple of his albums in my collection.) He and Art were close all their lives, and through him I got to know Art and to learn a great deal about how they came to be who they were.

Richard Thieme, who has no connection with the kind of music we celebrate here, is a very interesting, accomplished man in his own right. You might look him up on Google.