Well put Dick!

I've always had mixed feelings about those who served as the "source" for songs. The reason I brought up my tongue in cheek idea of writing a book about Diane is to try to show the situation from a different perspective. A biographer does not need the permission of the subject. What a biographer needs is sources for information, same as a reporter. When a biographer interviews a subject, or when a TV reporter interviews a witness, usually there is no payment.   Some subjects will demand a fee, and it is negotiated.

These collectors did the same. While I am sure there were some that had ulterior motives and did not tell the source their intention, most of the collectors that I have read about did indeed state their purpose and arranged for the song to be transcribed. AP Carter visited his neighbors and asked for songs, many of which he re-wrote, and then they became hits - at that point SOME of the neighbors complained.

I'm with Dick - I applaud the collectors who have kept this music alive and preserved songs that would have been lost to the ages.