I was reading the obit in our local San Diego Union-Tribune this morning. What struck me was that Nick, Bob and Dave never really thought of themselves of folk singers. Nick said a writer once asked them if they were and, not having a better answer at the moment, they said "sure." Their agent, Frank Werber, came up with the "Kingston Trio" name because it echoed calypso, a form enjoying popularity at the time they began their career. They just loved to sing and entertain and folk music, or a form of it, provided much of their material. They were not wedded to that genre, however, and did many composed songs, novelty songs and ballads. John Stewart provided a lot of their original material during his tenure with the Trio. To those of us for whom "Tom Dooley" marked a rite of passage of sorts, a bit of us passed with Nick. His vitality and joy of performing was the real heart and soul of the original group. I miss his music and I miss his wit. He might have been the "runt of the litter," but he was the life of the party.