I got interested in blues and folk music when I was about 17...and right from the beginning had admiration for all the then old-timers who were recording. They might not have sounded as "beautiful" as Joan Baez, but those hill folk were a lot more authentic, and I appreciated hearing the music, even back then, from the source. I was not alone in this...folk clubs in LA often showcased relatively unknown singers from Kentucky, the deep South, etc. The same thing was true for jazz, another music medium I loved (and love). "Oldtimers" were greatly revered. I've been out of the mainstream for so long I don't really know, but from up here high above the tideline, it seems to me that that sort of reverence for "roots" not as prevalent in 80's and 90's with young people...is that true, or is that just BOF talk, I wonder....