The trouble is no one knows the songs of these singer/songwriters you mention, Ron exzcept for a very limited few and their songs stand a very small chance if any chance of being passed down or even learned by others.

I don't believe either that it will ever die completely, but the "commercial" days produced songs for the masses and it was not so much "me" centered as what is passing for folk music today is.

Today's folk music is a mere shadow of what folk music was to the every day person and the mere fact that the rise of house concerts as it's leading venue speaks volumes of how the general public has cast it aside. The bulk of it's audience relies on other like minded musicians, not even many non-musicians make up the ratio of it's audience I believe. The days of "commercial" folk music as you like to call it influenced many. I only see what is called folk music today influencing a very small number.