I have to add my bit I think after following this thread for a week or so, I grew up listening to Pete Seeger and TKT at large courtesy of my Dad, I think these probably influenced a lot of the 40 something crowd later I started looking at their peers and influences and found a common name Woody Guthrie, he wrote a lot of divergent songs from nursery songs to politacal protests, P S interpreted them for the world as does Billy Bragg now I think Billy Bragg is a current influence with the same material as 50 years ago so maybe Woody should take his place with pride. In the states many of the "folk" singers were marginalised because of politics in the 50s leaving their true influence subdued.