Well, as far as writing some of those definitive songs about "folk" and their lives Stan Rogers (and his brother Garnet as well) has to be one of the best of the 20th century.

Stan wrote with feeling and truth about fishermen, farmers ("Field Behind the Plow"), farmer's wives ("Lies"), the life of the singer (folk music groupies: "You Can't Stay Here"), love ("45 Years"), ballads ("Harris and the Mare", "Witch of the Westmoreland"- via Archie Fisher (Scotland).)

Stan's sudden and tragic death in an airplane fire (age 33) more than a decade ago was so terrible I still cannot listen to more than a song or two before I become so saddened at the loss of all the things he could have yet seen and sung about.

Thankfully Garnet Rogers has soldiered on afterward on the same path. His many miles driven in his Volvo (no airplanes for him!) going about the nomadic music life has presented most of North America to him and he continues to sing about the land and the people, as Stan did.

Brien
Toronto