Jean,

I have never had the pleasure of meeting you, but I heard you sing in person back in the day, and when the topic of music came up around Greenwich Village, guess whose name kept popping into the conversations?

You have introduced, led, inspired so many people to an appreciation and love of music. Some have branched out into other forms of the art, but today--when I hear the word 'dulcimer'--I think Jean Ritchie. I know there are other great players, but none of them are YOU! You have influenced directly or indirectly literally thousands of other musicians. Even if only for that you deserve the award. But it isn't only for that.

You helped preserve a type of music that has met as many hard times as the topics of its songs. Because of you and your role in starting the Newport Festival I got to PLAY at the Newport Festival seven or so years later. Partly because of you I found out that music didn't HAVE to come out of an electric guitar amp. That beautiful songs can be both breathtakingly simple and utterly filled with deep philosophy gleaned from tradition that goes back centuries.

Your post above shows that what your friends AND admirers (they seem to be one and the same) say about you is absolutely true. You are a queen in your own right.

I don't have that kind of eloquence, so I'll just say I think you're one neat gal.