Very sad to hear that John is gone. We have/had been friends for more than 50 years, even after I moved to Denmark almost 30 years ago.

I first met him at an after-concert party as I was beginning to discover folk music when I wound up in NYC after college. It wasn't a case of "star" and "fan"; we were just two individuals enjoying a conversation. That was how he dealt with everyone.

We often crossed paths in the folk music community, in connection with the sloop Clearwater, and through Morris dancing. John was both a dancer and musician with the Marlboro Morris Men, who hosted what I believe was the first Morris "Ale" (a weekend gathering, with dancing out in surrounding communities) in North America and was a strong factor in the growth of Morris and sword dancing in America.

I remember that in the early days, both John and Tony (Barrand) could play a bit on the English concertina, but Tony left that behind, and John switched to the anglo, with an expertise and style -- especially for singing -- that inspired many others to take it up.

And as a singer, he was simply wonderful, in duets with Tony Barrand, but also as a solo singer. (I won't say "solo act". With John, it wasn't an "act"; it was his soul.)

I was really looking forward to meeting him again durnig a planned trip to the US this spring. Alas, that's not to be. But I'll be thinking of him, constantly.