Joe- 'Than Hall is(was) a pseudonym I took during the time I was writing my mining songs, (L&N, Blue Diamond Mines, etc.) My mother was living then, and "protest" was a bad word- not for me in NY, but I didn't want anyone bothering Mom about it. I was with BMI at the time and they refused my use of my grandfather's name, John Hall, because that was the then BMI president's name, so I took the end of Johnathan, and became 'Than. Around home, that was a common way shortening that name. Jean