To me, Jimmy Buffett fit's "Folkie" in many ways.

Mostly his music is not complicated (no heavy synth).

He sings about all sorts of stuff - including politics, religion, sex, races etc. - stuff "pop" music rarely touches upon.

He borrows from "World Music" sources and integrates them into his own blend

He's written or covered songs with at least some lyrics in the following languages: English, French, Brazilan Portuguese, Creole and Tahitian.

He's rarely played on the radio and what DOES get played are the "top 40" stuff he occasionally did in the '70s (Margaritaville (topped out at #8 in the Billboard charts in 1977), Come monday, Changes in Lattitues, Changes in Attitudes.

His band (the Coral Reefers) usually includes Latin percussion, steel drum, blues/folk harmonica, honky-tonk piano, and steel guitar on occasion.

He has said that his major influences include the Delta Blues, Cajun Swing, Creole, Reggae, Soca, Salsa, Big Band Swing and more.

He has been known to parody his own music and writes parodies and spoofs as well (check out the following: "Why Don't We get Drunk and Screw" was written in response to Country stars in the late 60's who would never directly say that in a song; & In his 4 CD box set there's a song called "Elvis Imitators" where he does a quite good imitation of Elvis while he sings a spoof about how silly Elvis Imitators can be.)

He loves Lord Ricard Buckley and does a wonderful rendition of God's Own Drunk (on White Sportcoat, I think, but check out the live version on "You Had To Be There")

And finally - the song "Captain and the Kid" is a true story of him and his Granddad - and it's one of the best songs ever written. Buffett has told the story about the time he was pitching his music to record exec's in Nasville in about 1970 - He played "Captain & the Kid" for one who liked it but asked why Buffett wrote at the end that the old man died. Buffett replied "Because he did." and walked out and supposedly never pitched his music ever again.

pax yall