Bill, if you read my note you would have noticed that we don't disagree at all- I said earlier that they were all links on the chain. As I repeatedly said, the Weavers were a HUGE influence and their importance cannot be diminished.    My point, from the start, is that the Weavers were not the SOLE start of the interest in folk music. The era that we were discussing, the pop sound of the Decca years, was NOT the sound that we remember the Weavers for.   If it were not for the fact that they persevered and reunited at Carnegie Hall in 1955, I doubt that there would have been a folk revival. Likwise, if it were not for the work of the names I mentioned previously, I seriously do not think there would have been a group known as The Weavers.

It is very pleasing to see that the Weaver legacy is being carried on by Work of the Weavers, and Weavermania (who I really think does the best job of capturing their spirit!).   We can't diminish the importance of the Weavers, but we can't gloss over the work that the rest accomplished to open the door for the Weavers to step in.

Ron Olesko
Producer/Host
WFDU-FM's TRADITIONS/TABLETALK (more truth in advertising!!)