Frank Hamilton was an early hero of mine. I devoured every cut on this LP for Concert Disc that was called FOLKSINGER'S FOLKSINGER. And the man certainly has always been just that. "Blue Mountain" --"Meadowlands" -- "Tying Knots In The Devil's Tail" -- "Geordy" -- so many others...

In 1961 I was attending the University Of Illinois in Chicago. In those days that was on Navy Pier. We formed a folk club there that soon took over my life to the extent that this music of ours soon became much more important to me than any of my classes. Our club wanted to sponsor a concert there, and it was a huge thing for us to have Frank Hamilton agree to do that for us. He was simply the epitome of musical taste. Friends, I was developing a feeling for this music then ---- yes, a definition of what Folk Music was and is --- a definition that I have, possibly, discommoded some of you here in this Forum by enunciating it too often and too forcefully. Well, so be it. We are what we are. ----- But the influence of Frank Hamilton on me and on my music can never be overestimated by anyone!

That was a fine concert Frank gave that long ago night at the Lake Michigan end of the miles-long Navy Pier. I hauled my 50 pound Webcor reel-to-reel tape machine all the way out there and ran a direct line to the P.A. feed to allow me to secure a fine tape of that show. (Flamenco guitarist, Ray Watkins and a trio group called The Frets --that young Jim Roger McGuinn played with-- came along with Frank, at his behest, to open the program.)

Alas, those tapes self-destructed and the oxide flaked off before I was able to dub them to newer tape. But Franks performance of "Meadowlands," "Lady Gay," Alabama Bound" and a wondrous harmonica blues in the style that Frank had learned from Woody Guthrie were a few I DID actually manage to save by having them on a favorites tape I made. I learned an approximation of "Meadowlands" from that tape that I played for the next 30 years. "Blue Mountain" wound up on my first album that was recorded live at the Old Town School Of Folk Music--about 1976.

Then, a short time later I signed up for a class with Frank Hamilton at the OTSOFM. The first song he taught was "Living In The Country --- an instrumental from the Folkways Records album he did with Pete Seeger. That was the last formal lesson I ever took from Frank or anyone else----because Frank went off to join The Weavers! BUT Frank Hamilton never stopped teaching me! He has most certainly been a mentor from afar for me, and all I can say, Frank, is THANK YOU! It has been a marvelous musical life.

Whew, that was close to 35 years ago. Hard to believe.

Love to you and to Mary,

Art Thieme
Peru, Illinois (where our governors make our license plates!)