It's true that Grossman "manufactured" (or better said: orchestrated) highly successful careers for a whole series of performers, including those you mentioned, Don. It's also true, however, that they all had talent worthy of those successful careers. Grossman just happened to be the man to successfully market it to the public, that's all. That was his talent.

Baez, given her altruistic character, would not have been comfortable with Albert Grossman, so she probably made the right move in a personal sense by going with Greenhill...although Grossman would have made more money for her by far, I expect.

Now ask Joan Baez if she thinks Bob Dylan deserved the success he got in the business...she clearly has the highest opinion of his creative and performance abilities, as I think he does also of hers. There's no reason to dump on people just because a slippery character like Grossman helped them to market themselves far more effectively when they were young and starting out.

Stilly - You said: "You'd think a well-placed dismissal yesterday would have taken care of the problem, wouldn't you?"

Ah! But that's probably just the kind of thing Diane Easeby is thinking too, whenever she hits the "submit" key and delivers her own "well-placed dismissal". Think about it. Get two people like that reacting ever more huffily to each other's last comments and it just goes on forever and ever....like the energizer bunny.

How about if I offer a free copy of "What Is Folk Music - The Compleat Answer to the Question of the Ages?" (by Allen Folkwrightson, Stingout Press 1972) to whoever stops counterreacting first? This will be confirmed by no such counterreaction in 100 consecutive posts on the thread (by all participants).