I received an e-mail from Mark Moss, editor of Sing Out! Magazine, informing us that Bob Norman passed away this past Sunday. Bob was 61 years old and died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Bob was the editor of Sing Out! Magazine from 1970 to 1977 and he kept the magazine alive at a time when "folk music" was being ignored by the mainstream music industry. Bob went on to become a part of the Fast Folk Music Magazine, contributing several songs and keeping active in the NYC folk community.

He recorded several CD's, and his last visit on my radio program was about a year after 9/11. He sang a song about that tragic day after seeing the towers fall while sitting on a NJ Transit train waiting to head into the city. Bob lived in Manhattan for a number of years and he captured the spirit of the city in his songs. The folk music community in our area was better because of Bob. He made a difference in this world.

My condolences to his wife Clara and their son Samuel as well as all his family and friends.