The first hootenanny I attended was the Sunday afternoon matinee shows at the folk club called the Gate Of Horn at Chicago Ave. and Dearborn Streets in Chicago---circa 1959. There was a side bleacher area for folks too young for liquor.

The hosting act for those hootenannies was a trio called The Frets: Johnny Carbo, Louis MacDonald and Jim "Roger" McGuinn. The guest act that day was Odetta Felious---who was the main nighttime folk act at the club all that week. Bob Gibson showed up with his banjo (no guitar for Bob yet---way before the 12-string) and did a set too. Bob was the opening act for Odetta at that gig. Sandy Paton was on the show too. I was a senior in high school that year.

And Frank Hamilton, if my memory is right, was the house instrumentalist who played with anyone who wanted some backup.

From here, now, it seems like a whole other millennium ago!! Well, I guess it was, sort of, that.

Art Thieme