Musicians Who Influenced You

Subject: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 09:46 AM

I've just finished reading Richie Haven's autobiograhy 'They Can't Hide Us Anymore' (great book) in which he talks about how Bruce (Murdoch) influenced his own song writing style:

"..And here is a song I wrote when I heard the title, "What More Can I Say, John?" The title came to me while I was in Canada after listening to the songs Bruce Murdoch was playing, songs that addressed issues going on in America more than most of the songs I was hearing back home. Listening to Bruce altered my perspective, opened my thinking, and expanded my songwriting..."

Then, at the end of the book, his co-writer, Steve Davidowitz says this:

"The first time I saw Richie Havens was in the Gaslight Cafe in the early 1960s, and this is how powerful an impression he made on me; instead of using the proceeds of a winning 37-1 long shot at Aqueduct to buy a car to run around Rutgers University, I bought my first guitar, even though I didn't play at the time."

Recently, in the Folk Awards thread, someone mentioned that it was watching and listening to Phil Beer that had inspired him to take up the guitar...

So, I was wondering, who were the people who musically influenced you?

Bruce Murdoch Myspace

Richie Havens Myspace

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Y_Not
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 09:57 AM

"Everone is influenced by everybody but you bring it down home the way you like it". Thelonious Monk.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Sleepy Rosie
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:09 AM

These B*stards!
And These
And This One

I did recover somewhat by the time I was in my late teens of course, but the damage regarding 'folk music' was to last up until very recently...

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:21 AM

Elvis
Buddy
Carl Perkins
Little Richard
Jerry Lee
The Platters
Jackie Wilson
The Shadows
Marty Wilde
Joe Brown
Carole King
Joni
James Taylor
Tom Paxton
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Keith Emerson
The Byrds
The Eagles
Jack Hudson
etc
etc
etc
etc
for years and years all sorts of performers,
and latterly,
Allan Taylor
Stan Rogers
Dan McKinnon
Nathan Rogers
Richard Shindell

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:24 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Unj_uU9tbs

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Beer
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:27 AM

Hank Williams
Johnny Cash
Kris Kristofferson
Gordon Lightfoot
John Prine

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:28 AM

My main influences were:

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:30 AM

Didn't mean to leave you in suspense... not quite sure how that happened. :-)

    The Anthology of American Folk Music
    Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's
    Lonnie Donnegan
    Dave Van Ronk
    Mississippi John Hurt

Jerry

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Stu
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 10:37 AM

Planxty
The Watersons
Alec Finn
Bothy Band
the musicians who played at the two local sessions I started at, one of which is still going strong . . .

. . . and seeing Simon Groome play bodhran on Blue Peter whilst re-recording the theme with Mike Oldfield (true).

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Y_Not
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:03 AM

Micky & Griff..............

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:13 AM

I remember being heavily influenced by Tim Hardin's "vibrato". For months back in the late 60s(?), I added a heavy vibrato to everything I sang.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: frogprince
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:27 AM

It's presumptuous of me to even say anything here; I have no performing ability at all. But I've written a few lyrics, and painfully battered out original melody lines for some of them. For years I looked at my wife, and wished I could write a love song for her that would hold a candle to Tom Paxton. this is the best I've managed so far

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:29 AM

An eclectic crew, to say the least:

Merle Travis
Chet Atkins
Joe Maphis
The Weavers
Bud & Travis
The Journeymen
The Kingston Trio
Jon Adams
Terry Gilkyson
Mose Allison
Charlie Byrd
Oscar Brand
Joe & Eddie
Josh White
Bob Gibson
Laurindo Almeida
Odetta
Jack Teagarden

With additional influences by:

The Limeliters
The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem
Gordon Lightfoot
Red Shea
Harry Chapin
John Stewart

Many more.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:36 AM

Beautiful words, fg. :0)

And good to see Harry Chapin up there TJ.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Midchuck
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:43 AM

In _approximate_ chronological order:

Tex Ritter
Roy Rogers
Gene Autry
Hank Williams
Homer and Jethro
Tom Lehrer
The Kingston Trio
The young Joan Baez
Ian and Sylvia (and John Herald)
The Clancys and Tommy Makem
The early Country Gentlemen
Doc Watson
The Charles River Valley Boys (got me through Law school)
Dick McCormack (no, you never heard of him)
Willie Nelson
Waylon Jennings
The Seldom Scene
Ian Tyson (the second time around)
Tom Russell

To name but a few...

Peter

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Phil Edwards
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:51 AM

Dylan
Alan Price (songs for O Lucky Man!)
Peter Blegvad
Robyn Hitchcock
Nic Jones
Tony Capstick
and more recently
John Kelly*
Dick Miles**
and a number of singers I've been lucky enough to share singarounds with.

*John's music is probably the main reason I'm a traddie now. Cheers, John.
**Strictly speaking Dick hasn't influenced me *yet* - but one of these days I'm definitely going to get a concertina and learn to play.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: PoppaGator
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:12 PM

Dylan once said something along the lines of: "Just open up your ears and you're influenced."

I could list countless favorites, but I won't.

Recently, I've been reminded how important an early influence Tom Rush was for me.

Ask me this again in a week or month, and I might have a different answer.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Jayto
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:33 PM

Mose Rager
Eddie Pennington
Doc Watson
Merle Travis
Mississippi John
Big Bill Broonzy
Django Reinhardt
The Hellecasters
The Ventures
Dick Dale
Albert Lee
Bob Brozman
Waylon Jennings
Rev. Horton Heat
Brian Setzer

Some that people will be like huh lol

Steve Earle
Robert Earl Keen
REM
U2
The Sex Pistols
The Ramones
Nirvana
Southern Culture on the Skids
Uncle Tupelo
Ashley Macisaac
Rammstein

There are tons more but that is all I am gonna list right now. Maybe more later. Hi Lizzie I am back lol. Baby is doing great I am wore out though lol
cya
JTO

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:40 PM

Maddy Prior/Martin Carthy/Steeleye Span
Sandy Denny/Fairport
Tim Buckley (praps)
Pentangle
Planxty
Bothy Band
Capercaillie
Lots of local, unknown and amazing singers in the Hebrides

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:43 PM

The greatest thing of all is that I'm still finding myself influenced by new generations of performers who bring something fresh to the table.

I also realized that I had left Ian and Sylvia, and Ian Tyson himself out of my list. Josh White, to me, was a transcendent figure - he had no real peers and his story is still an inspiration to me. If you haven't become aware of him, I heartily recommend looking into this amazing man, his life and his music. It is an especially good time to do so, in light of our recent election.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 12:59 PM

Waylon Jennings to the Sex Pistols, eh? Now there's a list.

"Hi Lizzie I am back lol. Baby is doing great I am wore out though lol"

Good to see you again, JT. Glad your little one is doing OK...I kept reading those bulletins, they did make me smile so. Are you teaching her the guitar yet? ;0) Now, something tells me that you may be a very big influence on her in a few years to come.. :0)

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Janie
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 01:54 PM

Like other's I'm influenced by almost everything I hear. (My fiddling sister tends to not listen to some fiddle styles that she otherwise likes, because she doesn't want her own, old Appalachian style fiddling to be unconsciously influenced.)

These are some of the people though, that I think have had the most influence. Some in terms of vocal style, some in terms of the music itself, and some, both.

Henry Farmer Williams (my grandfather)
Hazel Dickens
Bonnie Raitt
Maria Muldaur
Lowell George
Bessie Smith
Tommy Thompson of the Red Clay Ramblers
Robert Palmer
Odetta

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 02:47 PM

From early childhood a tiny selection

Captain Kangaroo

Captain Kangaroo does NOT sing Button up your overcoat

The banana man

Tom Terrific and Manfred

The Town Clown

I am a fine musician

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 02:59 PM

Sleepy rosie - you may be a lost cause, but we shall see what we can do. What is the treament for post traumatic folk disorder?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 03:25 PM

"What is the treament for post traumatic folk disorder?"

One viewing, to be taken three times a day, after meals

;0)

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Stringsinger
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 03:27 PM

My influences were broad-ranging. I learned about melodic improvisation and its complexity from Charlie Parker. I learned about simple direct single lyric lines from Woody Guthrie.
I learned about musical economy from Miles Davis. I learned about communication of heart-felt musical ideas from Louis Armstrong. Raw power from Leadbelly. What the acoustic guitar can do from Eddie Lang and Django. Phrasing of a song from Tony Bennett.
The power of song for people from Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson. The total misuse and
corrupt ideology from German marching and drinking songs from the time of Hitler.

My influences may or may not have influenced what I do when I make music, however.
when we play music, we are really our own unique influence.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Bill D
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 03:31 PM

OMG! The Banana Man! He was on the old Ed Sullivan Show a couple times....maybe....ummm... 50 years ago? Maybe 55?
Strange musical influence...but.... *big grin*

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: cptsnapper
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 03:52 PM

One of my earliest influences was Jim Lackey who was based at USAF Chicksands, near Bedford & who, with Steve Duffy came to Bedford folk club when it started in 1965. Jim had a Martin D28 & a really nice style of playing which I tried to learn from. Unfortunately I've lost contact with him which is a shame because I never told him how much I admired & learnt him. Others include Vic Flick of the John Barry Seven fame & who played the original James Bond theme as well as John James, Nic Jones, Bonnie Raitt, Roy Young, Mike Berry & the Outlaws, the list is endless............

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 05:48 PM

My most significant influences were the people I grew up around - part of the revival folk music community in the Washington, DC area. Some of those folks are Mudcatters; others have never joined or have left us. I think of people like Jonathan Eberhart and Helen Schneyer, as well as the living - Bruce Hutton, Joe Hickerson, Magpie and others. Not to mention my parents, the biggest influence of all.

More than anyone else, Pete Seeger has been a huge influence, indirectly as well as directly. Likewise, Utah Phillips was an influence long before I ever knew who he was. John McCutcheon, Gordon Bok, Archie Fisher, John Hurt, Jean Ritchie, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer also come to mind. But mostly it was the people who sat around singing at Open Sings, Getaways, festivals and gatherings - as well as at home.

I remember taking a folksong class in college, and hearing the professor make the distinction between traditional and revival musicians. It was a valid distinction. But like some other musicians today, I grew up in the revival, which had its own traditions, (sub)culture, and musical heritage. Most of what I perform today - including the new music - is very much tied to that tradition. My music is in the tradition within which I was raised, learned (in large part, at least in its form, if not all the lyrics) through oral tradition. Where does that place me culturally as a person and as a musician?

Hmmm. Maybe this should be the start of a new thread for children of the revival. Or somebody's dissertation.

Dan

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Bruce MacNeill
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 06:41 PM

Well Dan, as another child of the revival period, short as it was, I think it does qualify as a culture or subculture, and has in the U.S. anyway become a tradition. I know it takes longer in the U.K. for something to become a tradition.

Like you, family was my earliest influence, the earliest being my Great-Great-Uncle Brad who played banjo, but after that it was the groups of the late 50's, Kingston Trio, Limelighters, followed by Dylan, Lightfoot, Mitchell, Ian Tyson, Tom Rush et. al.

I think what made it a tradition for me was sitting in foxholes in Vietnam, playing guitar and singing anti-war songs. I couldn't count the number of times we all sang "Where have all the Flowers Gone" and the like. The U.S. may have moved on to the Beatles and Stones but everybody knew "Charlie on the MTA" and "Puff the Magic Dragon".

I'm 61 now and that's still "My music", although I play other stuff too, classical and jazz. Left alone, I'll go back to the "Flowers "or "Early Morning Rain" or "Four Strong Winds" I won't appologize for it.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: GUEST,Peace
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:29 PM

Jean Pierre Cousineau.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:40 PM

Bruce, this guy?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Colin Randall
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:47 PM

Loads - High Level Ranters, Dubliners, Noel Murphy, Stefan Grossman, Jansch & Renbourn, Johnstons, the Northern Front, Bothy Band, Planxty, Steeleye, Fairport, Tom Paxton, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. Andf that's without thinking too hard.


But that clip of Goodbye Irene - 21 Jan 10.24 - is priceless, Capt Birdseye.

Colin
Salut! Live

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Peace
Date: 21 Jan 09 - 11:59 PM

Jeri, I haven't seen John for 45 years. Likely is him. He had hair then, though.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 12:37 AM

Oh boy. Let's see...

The Yardbirds
Jim Morrison
Thin Lizzy
The Byrds
Spirit
Little Feat
Roxy Music
Bob Dylan
Hendrix
Van Morrison
Gram Parsons
Bruce Springsteen
REM
Uncle Tupelo
Merle Haggard
Townes van Zandt
Beatles
Son Volt
Richard Thompson
Sonny Boy Williamson(Rice)
Paul Rodgers
Woody Guthrie

Well. You asked.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Bert
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 01:20 AM

First was Mum and Dad.

Then
Lonnie Donnegan
Terry Golden
Tommy Steele
Tom Paxton
Tom Glazer
Burl Ives
Johnny Cash

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Colin Randall
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 02:14 AM

Yes, I forgot Dylan, Guthrie and at least half a dozen other bluesmen, without whom I probably would not have been lured into the folk clubs where pale English youths tried their best to copy their style

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Colin Randall
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 02:17 AM

....the "other" was a reference to my previous message, which mentioned Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, not Dylan and Guthrie, though plenty of people in the British folk clubs of the late 1960s/early 1970s did versions of their songs, too

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Jayto
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 03:38 AM

Lizzie it is funny you asked about the guitar. Kaelyn has the longest little fingers everyone is saying she has musician hands lol. I just added some pics of her in my tagged album on myspace.

Jim Morrison (god yeah how could I forget to add the Doors)
Clarence Ashley (thanks to Jerry R.)

I came to folk through punk, psychedelic, and metal. Not as far of a stretch as some may think.
I will add more when I have time but have to run right now.
cya
Jayto

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: bubblyrat
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 05:16 AM

Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Clancy Brothers
      Jimmy Shand
Robin Hall & Jimmy MacGregor
The Carter Family

      Pete Seeger


   Not many names,I agree---but they were enough to get me hooked for life !!

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Zen
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 06:09 AM

My father
My grandfather
Pretty well every good musician I've listened to whether famous or not.

Zen

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 07:54 AM

Not sure about influence, but here's a few ongoing inspirations:

Daevid Allen
Magma
Third Ear Band
Don Cherry
Sun Ra
Rene Zosso
Jim Eldon
Seamus Ennis
Derek Bailey
Johnny Mbizo Dyani
Scott Walker
Robert Wyatt
Davie Stewart
Jordi Savall
Rene Clemencic
Vivian Stanshall

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 08:27 AM

Alistair Anderson ,Bob Roberts,Harry Cox,Nic Jones,Phil Tanner,
Margaret Barry,and many more.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Colin Randall
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 08:35 AM

Yes, Captain. Nic Jones should have on my list, too (Alistair was, through his service to the High Level Ranters).

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 09:37 AM

John Prine
John Fahey
John Hurt
John Mayall
John Lee Hooker
John Hartford
John McCutcheon
John McEuen
John Cohen
John Cowan
John Lennon
John Duffy
John McLaughlin

That's the Johns. Wanna hear the Bills? How 'bout the Bobs?

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Bryn Pugh
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 10:40 AM

Duane Eddy
Chet Atkins aka the Great God Atkins alias GGA
Barney Kessel
Django Reinhardt
Wes Montgomery
Ian Jentle
The Young Tradition
Roy Orbison
The Police (the band, not the scuffers !)
June Tabor
Carolyn Hester
Martin Carthy
Leigh Stirling
Nic Jones
Ewan McColl
Louis Killen
Jim Carroll
The Watersons
Harry Boardman
Finbarr and Eddie Furey
Pete Ryder

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Clifton53
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 10:40 AM

Among many others, Tom Rush was a big influence in my school days. Not only is he a great performer in his own right, but he introduced songs by then unheard of songwriters, who shortly became famous world wide, and he covered blues numbers, traditional songs etc. Just an open door for me.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: PeadarOfPortsmouth
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 11:29 AM

In rough chronological order:
Clancy Bros and Tommy Makem
The Beatles
The Clash
Christy Moore
Jez Lowe
Elvis Costello
Richard Shindell

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: Peace
Date: 22 Jan 09 - 04:51 PM

Ron Bankley.

Subject: RE: Musicians Who Influenced You
From: HipflaskAndy
Date: 23 Jan 09 - 01:53 PM

So much influence!!!
But to strip it to the bare bones...
Chronologically for me (and what they influenced for me)...

Them there Beatles...
plus a whole myriad of 'sixties' artists! - first interest in music as a whole!
Ian Anderson (Tull) - songwriting/vocals/material/style!!
Martin Barre (Tull) - elec gtr playing
Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash)- elec gtr playing
Andy Latimer (Camel)- elec gtr playing
Steeleye Span - engendered my interest in the tradition
Fairport Convention - engendered my interest in the tradition
Martin Carthy - acoustic guitar playing / engendered my interest in the tradition
Nic Jones - acoustic guitar playing / engendered my interest in the tradition
Richard Thompson - songwriting / acoustic gtr playing
Keith Hinchliffe- acoustic guitar playing
Stephen Fellowes (Comsat Angels)- songwriting
(those last two from the parish of Sheffield!)